Open-Door Hearing for the Missing Person

The Grand Board of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will come together for the case brought by the family of Mehmet Salim Acar, who is said to have been missing since 1994 in the Bismil District of the southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

Acar's family rejected Turkey's proposal for a "friendly resolution." The open-door hearing of the trial will be held at the ECHR building in Strasbourg Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

Turkey offered 105,000 euros

In the case opened by Acar's brother T.A., Turkey proposed the family a "friendly resolution," and offered to pay 105,000 euros (about 19 billion Turkish lira) in September 2002.

Acar's family rejected this offer saying it did not enlighten the incident, and took the case to the Grand Board of the ECHR.

Mehmet Salim Acar was a farmer at the Ambar village of the Bismil district of the predominantly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir. Two civilians forced Acar into a car in August 1994. According to his family, Acar was kept under detention for a long time and was tortured. He was also not allowed to see his lawyer and family. No one has heard from Acar since that date. (BB/NK/EA/NM)