The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance by the United Nations (BM) has been waiting for the signatures of the governments. Together with the US, Israel and Britain, Turkey is not among those 71 countries that have already signed the convention.
The convention needs to be ratified by 20 countries in order to become internationally valid. So far, only Albania ratified the convention on November 8, 2007.
It is a right to learn the fate of the person who has disappeared
The convention not only bans the enforced disappearance, it also stipulates that the governments define this act as a crime in their legal systems. Moreover, it places the common or systematic act of disappearance in the same group with the crimes against humanity.The convention ensures the rights of both those who disappeared and their families. In these rights, it includes the right to know the fate of the disappeared as well as the compensation for the damage caused.
How many people were victimized by enforced disappearance around the world is not known. It is estimated that there have been between 375 thousand and one million victims in Iraq in conflicts since 1980 and more than 17 thousand people in the former Yugoslavia in conflicts in last ten years. According to Red Cross the number of the disappeared is 22 thousand in Angola alone.
In addition, the enforced disappearance comes with many other violations of rights: one’s security and personal integrity, not to be tortured and treated cruelly, right to a fair trial and right to a family life.
İHD: It is everyone’s job
Human Rights Association at İstanbul (İHD), which had declared the period between May 17 and 31 “the Week of the Commemoration of the Disappeared”, pointed out to the section of the convention that states, “the enforced disappearance will be accepted as a continuing crime until it is brought to light.”
According to İHD, the way to complete freedom from the shame of silence in the case of the disappeared is connected to forming urgently a resolute and efficient mechanism of inquiry and investigation and taking to courts those who are guilty of this crime. “It is everyone’s job.” (TK/GG/TB)
* For the complete English text of the convention.
