The grave robbers have been punished but the tombstones have not been returned

In August of 2000 grave robbers stole tombstones which dated from times of the Ottoman Empire from the cemetery of the village of Kamberler (Ano Kambi) in the region Mehrikoz (Kehros).

Ýbrahim Çakýr and his son Mehmet from Kamberler have observed the grave robbers and intervened. The thieves managed to steal the historic tombstones from the scene of the crime but they forgot the tool of the crime, the shovel. Ýbrahim Çakýr immediately reported the incident to the police station in Mehrikoz, then also at the police station in Küçük Derbent (M. Derio), and demanded to put the thieves under arrest. The police officers of K. Derbent arrested the thieves at the same day.

The eye-witness Ýbrahim Çakýr from Kamberler tells what happened afterwards: „I have reported the grave robbers to the police station in Mehrikoz. They have stolen the tombstones and a few have even been left behind broken. I said we claim the return of the tombstones. Later some people from the main police station in Þapçý (Sapes) came to the scene of the crime. They said, they would like to see the cemetery and asked me about the sequence of events. They also took the tool of the crime, the shovel, they have taken pictures and left. Then the incident came to court. I was called as witness to the hearing to Komotini. In the hearing I testified, what I have seen. One of the accused did not appear in court. The absent was sentenced to 22 month the other to 20 month. Later they filed an appeal. The case will be heard once again on May 24th 2005 in front of the court of appeal in Komotini. I will testify again what I know and what I have seen. At the end of the hearing I told the judge that we want the return of the tombstones. He said, they will be returned. Until today they are still not there. The citizens of our village still wait for the tombstones of their ancestors. They date from times of the Ottoman Empire and have a considerable cultural historical value. The village consists of only 5 households, our school has been closed. We do not know how we should protect the old tombstones.“

A similar case of tombstone robbery has happened already on January 11th of 2001 at the cemetery of Sarpdere which is located in the same region. Eye-witnesses had noticed the car registration number of the lorries of the culprits and reported it to the police station and claimed their arrest. Although four years have passed since that incident we have no information if the culprits have been arrested or not.