Nicosia: The recent illegal arrest of five Greek Cypriots attempting to visit their properties in areas not under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus has been spotlighted in an international report, underscoring ongoing human rights challenges in Cyprus, as stated by Maria Stylianou Lottides, Commissioner for the Administration and Protection of Human Rights, in a written statement.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Report of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI), titled ‘Scoping paper Clarifying NHRI’s roles, exploring challenges and suggesting directions for NHRIs during the active phase of armed conflict,’ emphasizes the limitations faced by Cyprus’s National Human Rights Institution. The institution, led by the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights, struggles to fulfill its mandate due to restricted access to areas outside the Republic of Cyprus’s effective control since 1974.
The report stresses that this lack of access hampers the institution’s ability to monitor and promote human rights in those territories, affecting the rights of Cypriot citizens residing in or visiting the area. A recent incident exemplifying these challenges involves the detention of five Greek Cypriots by the de facto authorities in the non-government-controlled regions of Cyprus as they attempted to visit their properties.
Concerns have been raised about the detention and treatment of these individuals. However, the representatives of Cyprus NHRI are unable to conduct on-site visits, either under the institution’s general mandate or in its capacity as the National Preventive Mechanism, to assess conditions, review procedural safeguards, or monitor potential human rights implications, the report notes.
The Commissioner’s press release highlights this specific reference as a significant success, bringing international visibility to both the refugee issue and the recent arrests, and internationalizing an issue that has seen no positive developments for over five decades.
The report further acknowledges the Commissioner’s work concerning displaced persons, noting that recommendations and suggestions are made to the state for improving legislation and policies related to them. The inclusion of these issues in the report is particularly significant, as it highlights the collateral consequences of the invasion and occupation on an international level, as well as the limitations faced by the Republic of Cyprus and its Independent Institutions in ensuring full human rights protection across its territory.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Repeated UN-led peace talks have yet to achieve a resolution.
The five Greek Cypriots were ‘arrested’ on July 19 in the Turkish-occupied village of Trikomo, in northern Cyprus, while visiting their properties. They were charged by the ‘authorities’ of the illegal regime with ‘illegal entry’ and other charges and remain illegally detained, facing ‘court sessions’ with reports of some experiencing health issues. The Cyprus government condemned the arrests, demanding the immediate release of the five, while a European Commission spokesperson affirmed that the EU does not recognize the self-proclaimed state in northern Cyprus and its so-called judicial system.