Reports of “disappearances” in Turkey have increased since 1991. AI knows of at least 50 confirmed cases of “disappearance” in custody in 1994. This report describes five cases, illustrating the pattern found in many cases of “disappearance”. Many people “disappear” because of their suspected political activities, legal or illegal. Those active in organizations working on behalf of Turkey’s Kurdish minority are particularly at risk. Several “disappeared” persons had a history of repeated detention and ill-treatment by the police; some had received death threats. People have been “disappeared” for refusing to act as village guards. Local police and judicial authorities seem hardly interested in investigating the cases, even where there is clear evidence that the victims were detained by the security forces. “Disappeared” persons are frequently found dead.
