ŞIRNAK - The wife of Mele Hasan Sanır, who was killed during the curfew declared in Silopi and whose remains was not allowed for 13 days, said: "His sermons were in Kurdish. He was persecuted, but he was the pioneer of society."

 

It has been 7 years since the 38-day curfew declared on December 14, 2015 in the Silopi district of Şırnak, in which 68 people, including their children, were killed. Despite 7 years, no progress was made in the investigation files of people killed by police and military bullets, and many files were closed with "permanent search" decisions. One of those killed by police bullets during the ban was 71-year-old Mele (muslim regilious leader) Hasan Sanır.

 

Sanır, who is from the village of Spîndarok in the center of Şırnak, settled in the village of Nerex, on the slopes of Mount Cudi, with his family after their village was evacuated in the 1990s. Sanır, who worked as an imam for 2 years, was later arrested and spent 11 months in prison. He was exposed to many rights violations and ill-treatment in this process. He had to immigrate to Silopia in 1992 due to the increasing pressures on him and his family in the village of Nerex. Sanır, who did not give in to the persecution and did not give up giving sermons in Kurdish, was also at the forefront of the civil Friday prayers.

 

15 YEARS PENALTY FOR HER SON

 

Sanır was murdered by the police during the ban process announced in December 2015. The burial of his body was prevented for 13 days. 7 years have passed and the traces of the bullets are still on the wall of his house. After the murder of Sanır, the pressure on the family did not end. His wife, Ayşe Sanır, was detained on the allegation that she "makes a living with the money sent by the PKK". Mahmut, the only child of Sanır, was detained and arrested a year ago. Mahmut Sanır was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

 

ENDLESS OPPRESSION

 

Sanır's wife Ayşe Sanır talked about her husband and what happened. Saying that her husband was against injustice and persecution, Sanır said: "Mela has seen and lived through a lot of hardship. He was always involved in this case. He was a very self-sacrificing person. In the 90s, the state imposed 'you either become a village guard or leave the village'. We left the village and the whole village was evacuated. We settled in the village of Nerex. Mela was the imam there as well. After 2 years, we moved to Silopia. A curfew was declared here, too. We settled in the basement of the house. We had a lot of difficulty in that basement. We lived in the basement for exactly 11 days. Mela was not comfortable at all. He was going wherever there was a sound. He went up to the third floor of the house for a while. It was as if our house was shot. Mela lost her life there."

 

HIS REMAINS WAS AT HOME FOR 13 DAYS

 

Stating that their house was raided after the death of her husband, Sanır said: "They searched the house by holding my son by the neck. The remains of my husband had been held in this house for 13 days. Later, they came and took the body to the morgue of Sirnex State Hospital. From there, they took the remains to the mobile morgue where the Habur Border Gate was established. My son took the remains and laid to rest him with the participation of three people. I am proud of Mela. He was the pioneer of society. His sermons were in Kurdish. Mela was tortured a lot at that time. The state was angry with him. The people loved him. It was his concern for the Kurds to get their rights and get rid of this torture.”

 

'I WILL BE THE FOLLOWER OF THE CASE'

 

Noting that her husband wanted the freedom of Kurdistan, Sanır said: "I would not give up my struggle until the perpetrators were found. I had only one son, and they arrested him as well. I also take care of his children. As a result of slander, he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison. As long as I live, I will be the follower of my cause. My only request is for these attacks on the Kurds to end."

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut