The weekly sit-in organised by the Amed Human Rights Association (IHD) and relatives of the missing has taken place in Amed. The protest, under the slogan “Find the disappeared, try the culprits" took place in front of the monument to the Right to Life in the Koşuyolu Park in Amed. This, the 253rd protest, was attended by members and executive of the IHD, the Peace Mothers Initiative, MEYA-DER, union representatives, KESK representatives and relatives of the missing. Doctors from the local Doctors' Association and representatives of the KESK Elazığ Branches Platform also participated in support of the families of the missing.

IHD Diyarbakır branch chair Raci Bilici spoke at the protest, at which a banner bearing the words “They were taken suddenly one night from their homes and never returned" was opened and photographs of the missing were displayed. Bilici recalled that for 253 weeks there had been protests organised in many towns in the region, first and foremost Amed, adding that the protests would be continued until the disappeared were found.

Bilici said they were in Human Rights Week and had organised various events, adding: " Turkey is a signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and should therefore comply with it. But unfortunately there are serious rights violations in this country, particularly of the right to life. The latest example we saw in Yüksekova, where three citizens were killed by the security forces."

Bilici said that crimes against humanity were being committed in the country, adding: “We know that the missing were disappeared by the state and that the state is protecting those responsible. If this country wished to be democratic, if it wants the rule of law, it must find the missing and put the culprits on trial. Until this happens we cannot say that this state is bound by justice or universal law."

End Öcalan's solitary confinement immediately

Doctors' Association chair Cengiz Günay then spoke: “It would be useful to discuss the solitary confinement and health problems of Mr Abdullah Öcalan, who has a significant role in the peaceful and democratic resolution of the Kurdish question. In order for him to play this role to ensure there are no more disappearances his solitary confinement, which is inhuman, should be ended and he should receive a full check up in a fully equipped hospital and his health problems should be attended to.”.

Günay added that Turkey had still not accounted for the lives of the 34 people murdered at Roboski, adding: "We hope those responsible for this will be punished. Those responsible for the deaths of 6 people in the Gezi protests have still not been put on trial. 163 severely ill prisoners have been abandoned to die. These prisoners should be released immediately. Mass graves in the region should be opened in a legally appropriate way and an independent inquiry conducted.”