Activists call on Parliament to address police behavior during protest

Giorgos Tattis and Oz Karahan are scheduled to appear in court on November 18 following their arrest on Tuesday morning, October 1, while attempting to display a banner outside the official stand during a public event. 

After the violent arrest of Oz, George asked for an explanation and was subsequently arrested as well.

According to Marios Christofi's article published in Kathimerini Cyprus in Greek, the banner, which featured the slogan "Republic of Cyprus: the only solution" in Greek and Turkish, included the subtitle "APARTHEID is not a SOLUTION."

Dinos Toumazos, who facilitated the banner's display, criticized the police for their use of force, claiming that officers prohibited them from posting the banner without justification. However, police spokesman Christos Andreou refuted these allegations, asserting that the arrests were not related to the banner itself.

The Ecologists' Movement and Citizens’ Cooperation have urged Irene Charalambidou, chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, to address the incident as an ex officio matter.

Toumazos recounted that after the police requested to inspect the banner, officers photographed it and later informed the group that while the banner was not offensive, they were still not permitted to display it. When Tattis questioned the legality of this prohibition, police returned with additional officers and attempted to remove the banner. “They wanted to take us back to the parking lot and photograph it again. Oz and I refused, insisting that we would stay,” Toumazos said. He alleged that police then forcibly relocated them, resulting in Oz's arrest after he was thrown to the ground. Tattis was subsequently arrested for allegedly swearing at an officer.

Toumazos explained that their intention was to support the Republic of Cyprus and oppose any division, stating, “It was not denunciatory or reactionary but something reinforcing.”

In response to the accusations, Andreou emphasized that the arrests were due to criminal offenses committed by the two individuals, including assaulting a police officer. According to the police, the 34-year-old Tattis was initially arrested for causing public concern and insulting officers. When Karahan, 33, intervened, he too faced similar charges. Both men were charged and later released on bail.

Giorgos Perdikis, president of the Cyprus Greens, condemned the police's actions as unacceptable, raising concerns about citizens' constitutional right to free expression and the justification for police conduct during the incident. The movement has formally requested an inquiry by the Human Rights Commission into the events surrounding the arrests.