Wednesday, July 21, 2010 CANAN ALTINTAŞ DİYARBAKIR - RADİKAL

A 17-year-old woman found dead one month ago was allegedly murdered by her 15-year-old brother in an “honor killing” after she left the women’s shelter where she was staying, daily Radikal reported Wednesday.

The body of Şeyma G. was found half buried in the ground in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, while subsequent tests revealed that she had been strangled to death.

Her brother Y.G. was caught by police and then arrested July 16. According to a press statement announced Tuesday by the Diyarbakır police, the suspects in the murder were determined after an examination of the crime scene revealed footprints in the area and fingerprints on the tape put over the victim’s mouth.

The victim had reportedly been staying in a women’s shelter after being subjected to violence at home. Family members allegedly found her after they learned she had left the shelter.

Her brother, who is accused in the murder, had previously been detained for being a member of the illegal Muslim organization Hizb ut-Tahrir.