Protesters in Sweden demand justice for Syriac–Chaldean Diril family in Turkey

NORRKÖPING, Sweden — Over two years after the disappearance of Şümuni and Hürmüz Diril from their village in Tur Abdin, a historically Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) region in the southeast of modern day Turkey, few answers have been uncovered. The couple seemingly vanished in January 2020. It was several months later, after the melting of winter snow, that Şümuni’s body was discovered facedown in a nearby stream. The fate of her husband, Hürmüz, is still unknown.

On Thursday, 14 April 2022, in an attempt to draw attention to the long stalled Diril case, the Cultural Club in Norrköping and the Assyrian Observatory for Human Rights organized a protest in Norrköping, Sweden, against the inaction of Turkish authorities.

A speech was delivered on behalf of the two institutions requesting to reveal the course of investigations in this case, give a satisfactory answer about the kidnapped father and hold the perpetrators accountable. The Turkish Court is due to issue its verdict next week.

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