About

Disappearing Act: Reconstructing the Crime of Disappearances in Times of Political Violence (DISACT)
DISACT is a research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) that investigates enforced disappearances in the context of political violence.
In 2020, an estimated 1,000 people were forcibly disappeared every day across more than 95 countries (UN, 2021). These disappearances leave families in a state of prolonged uncertainty, obstruct justice, and challenge efforts to preserve historical memory.
Despite their widespread use by governments and armed groups, little is known about how the crime of enforced disappearance was invented, how it spread globally, or what motivates the selection of disappearances over other forms of violence.
DISACT aims to fill this critical gap through a comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis. The project draws on in-depth case studies from diverse political and historical contexts including Libya, Algeria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Chile— and combines ethnography, archival research, forensic science, legal analysis, and computational methods.
Project Information
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Iosif Kovras
- Host Institution: University of Cyprus
- Funding Agency: European Research Council (ERC)
- Programme: Horizon Europe
- Project Duration: 2023–2028
- Grant Agreement No.: 101086935