Fri 5 Aug 2016 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
A gay Syrian refugee has been found beheaded in Istanbul, two days after his disappearance. Muhammed Wisam Sankari Muhammed Wisam Sankari arrived in Istanbul a year ago after fleeing Syria but feared for his life after being threatened by gangs with knives who told him they wanted to rape him according to his friends. Sankari’s murder has barely been reported in Turkish media and it is not yet officially known whether his killing was a hate crime. A friend who identified his body says the killing was a violent one and he was only able to recognise Sankari by the trousers he was wearing. His flatmate Rayan has told Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association that Sankari had been raped five months before he was killed and that they had previously left a house they were living in because of their sexuality. “We were staying in a different house before and we had to leave that house just because we are gay,” he said. “People around would constantly stare at us. We did not do anything immoral? About five months ago, a group kidnapped Wisam in Fatih. They took him to a forest, beat him and raped him. They were going to kill him but Wisam saved himself by jumping at the road. We complained to the Police Headquarters but nothing happened.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 5th August 2016 - 10:41am