An LGBT rights organization based in
Turkey said Thursday that a gay Syrian refugee who feared for his
life was found decapitated in Istanbul.
The headless, mutilated body of
Muhammed Wisam Sankari was identified by his roommates by his
clothing, the group Kaos GL said in a statement.
Kaos GL said that Sankari feared for
his life after he was attacked in Istanbul about five months ago. In
that attack, a group of men kidnapped and raped Sankari. He was
trying to leave Turkey when he disappeared last month.
According to Kaos GL, Sankari had been
in Istanbul about a year.
Sankari's friend, Diya, said that gay
people are targeted in Turkey: “I get threats over the phone …
It does not matter if you are Syrian or Turkish. If you are gay, you
are everyone's target.”
While homosexuality is legal in Turkey,
hate crimes against the LGBT community are common.