Illegal arrest and continued detention of five Greek Cypriot citizens by the Turkish Occupation Regime

Written declaration No. 822 | Doc. 16242 | 09 September 2025

Signatories:

Mr Pablo HISPÁN, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Dora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Branislav BORENOVIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Ms Christiana EROTOKRITOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Ms Maria-Gabriela HORGA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Carmen LEYTE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr George LOUCAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Mr Dimitrios MARKOPOULOS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Andreas MINNICH, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Aleksandar MIRKOVIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Biljana PANTIĆ PILJA, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Christine PASQUIER-CIULLA, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Marko PAVIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Gonzalo ROBLES, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingjerd Schie SCHOU, Norway, EPP/CD ; Ms Elena-Simona SPĂTARU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Georgios STAMATIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Maria SYRENGELA, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Nicos TORNARITIS, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Albana VOKSHI, Albania, EPP/CD ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, ECPA

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We would like to express our deep concern over a serious violation of human rights and international law that undermines the values and principles of the Parliamentary Assembly. For over a month now, five citizens of the Republic of Cyprus remain unlawfully imprisoned by the regime subordinate to Türkiye in the occupied area of Cyprus. Their only "offense" was to attempt to visit and reclaim their lawful properties in the village of Gastria, in the Famagusta district, from which they were expelled decades ago. Those citizens have been accused of "illegal entry, trespassing, espionage and disturbing the peace". They are being held in degrading conditions despite their advanced age. This is not a simple incident; this is a pattern of intimidation. It constitutes a violation of international law and the European Convention of Human Rights (ETS No. 5) and undermines the principle of reconciliation.

We call on the Assembly to condemn the unlawful arrest and continued detention of the five Greek Cypriot citizens and demand their immediate release. We also urge Türkiye to comply with its international obligations. We reaffirm that respect for human rights, including the right to property, is a non-negotiable foundation of any just and lasting solution in Cyprus.