In the district of Beytüşşebap in the northern Kurdish province of Şırnak lies the village of Kovankaya, traditionally inhabited by Assyrian and Chaldean Christians.

Hurmüz (71) and Şimoni (65) Diril come from this village. The couple disappeared on 11 January 2020. While the mutilated body of Şimoni Diril was discovered after 70 days on the bank of a stream bed, there is still no sign of Hürmüz Diril.

The investigation into the disappearance of Hurmüz and Şimoni Diril, which was opened under pressure from one of the couple's sons, the Chaldean priest Remzi Diril, quickly revealed numerous inconsistencies and contradictions. A secrecy order was imposed on the file, and the authorities prohibited the publication of Şimoni Diril's autopsy report. Apro Diril, the only "eyewitness," stated during his interrogation that the couple had been abducted by "PKK fighters." Pro-government media also carried the story. However, the man did not call the police because he did not have a cell phone at the time of the alleged observation. This claim subsequently turned out to be false. The People's Defense Forces (HPG) denied any complicity in May 2020 and referred to state counter forces.

Remzi Diril, commonly called Father Adday, who is responsible for the pastoral care of thousands of Chaldean refugees and displaced persons from Iraq and Syria from Istanbul, his siblings and cousins had hinted several times that a relative of the family who wanted to appropriate the land of Şimoni and Hurmüz Diril might have committed the crime: Apro Diril. In the past, there had been several disputes over this. In addition, the couple's children criticized the state authorities for shortcomings in the search for missing persons. Şimoni Diril's body, for example, had been discovered by the 65-year-old woman's eldest son.

On 20 January 2021, three people were taken into custody in connection with the case of Hurmüz Diril. In addition to Behçet Öztunç and İsmail Yıldız, those detained included Apro Diril, the only person living in the village. Diril was taken to Şırnak Courthouse and sent to prison on 22 January 2021. The other two people were released on condition of judicial control.

The three suspects were sued for “murder with monstrous feeling or torment" and "premeditated murder".

The sixth hearing of the case was held at the 1st Heavy Penal Court in Şırnak on Friday. Apo Diril and his lawyers attended the hearing where the court board sentenced Apro Diril to life imprisonment, while the other two defendants were acquitted of all charges.

Rojhat Dilsiz, the lawyer representing the Diril family and also the President of Şırnak Bar Association, expressed their intent to appeal the ruling to a higher court. "As a reality of our country, we will continue our legal fight in the judicial process where the true culprits, who were involved alongside Apro Diril, have not yet been revealed or brought to justice,” said the lawyer.