Front Page Headlines
Trials, lies and… a child in the midst of it all
The mother’s lawyer questions the credibility of Norwegian justice. The Norwegian prosecutor’s decision to acquit the defendant of his daughter’s kidnapping is unprecedented for the country. The 52-year-old man expressed his intention of spending Christmas with his daughter, describing as hell the six years it took for his vindication.
- ELAM-Themistocleous: The ‘love affair’ lasted six months
- EDEK: A new legal confusion on the court order
- Three criminal investigators will shed light on Thanasis’ death
- 2022 budget: Priority is on strengthening development
The Green Line before the 27
Joint demand by the MED 5 to Ylva Johansson on the migration issue through Cyprus. “The flows of migrants through the Green Line must be dealt with accordingly despite that it is not a border”.
- They are struggling to keep the enclaved (in their villages)
- Mass ‘citizenships’ are given in the occupied areas
- Third investigation for Thanasis Nicolaou’s death 16 years later
Knee-deep in entanglement, they have no answers for the office that bears the same name (as the president)
AKEL registers the Pandora Papers issue to be discussed at the House watchdog committee. DISY continues to cover up and justifying this blatant conflict of interest concerning Anastasiades.
- Tufan Erhurman: The UBP-YDP-DP ‘minority coalition’ grants ‘citizenships by the dozen
- The road opens for the truth into Thanasis Nicolaou’s death
Norway court’s acquittal stuns
Lawyers in Cyprus bewildered after Norwegian court acquits man who abducted his child.
- Cyprus and Poland boost ties
- UK eases travel rules for countries including Cyprus
AKEL’s dirty laundry out in the open
Confrontation: Harsh response by the Presidential Palace. In 2012 AKEL received an anonymous €100,000 cheque!
- A hitman or not? – The Azeri’s three mobile phones provide important answers.
- Andreas Themistocleous: Ousted by ELAM but won’t give up his seat
- The vindication of the mother’s struggle: the case of 26-year-old Thanasis’ death reopens – The attorney-general announced yesterday the appointment of three criminal investigators.
- EDEK: In anticipation of the court decision. Submission of candidacies for the presidency
- Lawyers’ statements: Surprise by the acquittal of the Norwegian who abducted his daughter
Main News
Duda: UN resolutions point the way to appropriate Cyprob solution
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Regional/International Relations, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda to Cyprus and his call for respect of international law on the Cyprus problem.
Duda, who is on an official three-day visit to Cyprus with his wife, Agata, on the invitation of President Nicos Anastasiades, said Cyprus can count on Poland’s support when it comes to respecting international law. Noting that his country maintains friendly relations with both Greece and Turkey, Duda added however that international law must be respected.
He said UN resolutions point the way for an “appropriate” Cyprus settlement and gave reassurances that Poland supports this position and remains firm on this.
Duda also spoke about the migratory challenges Cyprus faces and said that his country can understand very well what this means. He referred to the situation in his own country saying Belarusian authorities are pushing migrants towards the Polish side of the border while underlining that this behaviour is irresponsible and contrary to international law.
Duda extended an invitation to Anastasiades to visit Poland and said he hoped to see tourism between the two countries grow further in the future.
Anastasiades cited Turkey’s latest activities in particular the Turkish navy’s harassment of a research vessel working on the EastMed pipeline project. He noted that this activity is detrimental to the European Union’s strategic and financial interests and undermines once more regional peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean. He also thanked Poland for its principled stand on the Cyprus problem but also for condemning Turkey’s unlawful actions in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone and in Famagusta, despite the excellent relations between Poland and Turkey.
Anastasiades presented Duda with the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III while the Polish president presented his host with the Collar of the Order of the White Eagle.
The two countries signed a number of memorandums of understanding MoUs for cooperation in various fields.
The dailies also report that Anastasiades and Duda spoke of a historic visit coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
KEY ACTORS
Duda (Poland)
>> Though Poland has excellent relations with Turkey, international law must be respected in region.
>> Poland believes UN resolutions point the way for appropriate Cyprob settlement & will not change this position.
>> Poland understands very well migration issues faced by Cyprus & channeling of people from Turkey due to own experience with Belarus.
Anastasiades (RoC)
>> Turkey’s pushback of research vessel working on the EastMed pipeline harms EU’s strategic and financial interests & undermines once more peace and stability in EastMed.
MED 5 raise Green Line issue with EU
Phileleftheros
EU Matters, Migration & Citizenship, External Security
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that the interior ministers of the MED5 – Italy, Spain, Malta, Cyprus and Greece – in a letter to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, raise as a common issue, that of the Green Line and the uncontrollable flow of migrants from Turkey to the Republic of Cyprus.
The paper, that obtained that letter, reveals that the issue of the Green Line is being brought before the Justice and Home Affairs Council by the MED 5.
The MED 5 said that they consider that issues requiring legislative changes to be implemented within the EU should not wait for the outcome of the negotiations on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. They suggest that in parallel with the negotiations on the Pact, progress can and must be made, especially in the areas of the external dimension, border reinforcement, returns and the management of external borders. Similarly, the influx of migrants into the Republic of Cyprus through the Green Line should be managed accordingly, despite that the Green Line is not a border, they said, the daily reports.
According to Phileleftheros, the fact that the MED 5 present the Green Line ‘hole’ as a common EU problem and is set as part of the priorities for the negotiation of the Pact, is of particular importance. It adds that the Green Line issue was raised for the first time among the priorities set by the five countries, on the insistence of Interior Minister Nicos Nouris.
Nouris had raised the issue with Johansson during her visit to Cyprus last week with the European Commissioner acknowledging the problem, the daily reports.
Struggle to revive enclaved villages
Phileleftheros
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that the government is struggling to sustain the population of the enclaved villages with a number of support schemes.
According to the daily, the enclaved in the Karpasia villages are down to 290 while there are only 48 in the Maronite villages which means that if no measures are taken the GC element and the Maronites will have an expiration date in the occupied areas. It is for that reason that the government is trying very hard to raise their number. Citing a briefing recently by the Presidency Commissioner, Photis Photiou, of the House committee on refugees, the number of deaths of enclaved people has risen after 2019 since many of them are elderly.
He said that through the support schemes for resettlement, 272 people returned to the Maronite villages and 51 in Karpasia.
Photiou referred to the support schemes offered mainly to young couples under 45 such as €17,000 for restoration of their homes, a measure that will now also be available for singles as well, and monthly allowances for living expenses, financial aid to buy home appliances and for business activities.
He also said that it was decided that empty houses would be restored to prevent them from collapsing. The committee also heard that in cases of deaths of enclaved people the settlers are eyeing their empty houses so it was necessary to protect them.
A representative of the children of the enclaved told MPs that some of the pupils who will later leave their village to study and find employment in the government-controlled areas, ought to be still deemed as enclaved despite going home only on weekends since the distance keeps them from travelling back and forth daily.
Investigations continue into alleged hitman’s case
Alithia
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
According to the paper, the three mobile phones found on the 38-year-old Azeri suspected of arriving to Cyprus to kill foreign businessmen, are expected to shed light on the case.
Authorities believe that the alleged hitman’s targets were directors of a foreign gambling company based in Nicosia and not Israeli tycoon Teddy Sagi, the daily reports.
Authorities’ attention is now on the three mobile phones found on him, as except the phone calls he made, police are also assessing the photos and videos it seems he took of places he was monitoring.
The daily reports that it is believed the suspect’s goal was to execute death contracts and then flee through the north. Police obtained information that he stayed for at least two nights in a hotel in the fenced area of Famagusta while it is believed he obtained the pistol with the silencer found on him upon his arrest from the north.
His lawyer told Alpha TV his client insists he arrived in Cyprus for holidays and that he was not a terrorist or a member of a criminal organisation.
Cypriot court awards Kyrenia refugees suing Turkey with €39m
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Property, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the Kyrenia district court has ruled in favour of four GC refugees who sued Turkey for loss of use of their properties in the north, awarding them with more than €39m.
The court also issued an order recognising the ownership of the plaintiffs over their disputed properties and another one according to which Turkey, as a defendant, is ordered to, within 30 days from its service, lift the illegal intervention on the disputed properties and return them to the plaintiffs. Turkey was not represented in the procedure, though the Turkish justice ministry was served the documents through the Greek Public Prosecutor’s office.
In relation to the claim of the plaintiffs for an order for the illegality and invalidity of the Immovable Property Commission and the administrative court Turkey operates in the occupied areas, the court ruled that it lacks the power and jurisdiction to annul the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights that ruled in favour of their establishment and operation.