|
41
organisations, including the
Observatory, call on the Cypriot authorities and the EU to take action
to stop the escalating harassment and attacks against KISA, after an
explosive device was planted outside its offices on January 5, 2024. We
call for the protection of civic space in Cyprus.
We, the undersigned organisations, express our deep concern regarding
the continuing and escalating harassment and attacks against KISA, a
leading non-governmental organisation fighting for human rights and
equality for all in Cyprus. KISA’s work promotes a society free of
racism and discrimination, also by defending the rights of migrants,
refugees and victims of human trafficking.
During the early morning of 5 January 2024, KISA experienced a
targeted bombing attack. An explosive device was planted outside its
offices, destroying all windows and causing extensive damage to the
photocopier, computers, and part of the organisation’s archives. The
organisation suspects that the bombing was carried out by individuals
within racist and nationalist circles, considering that KISA and its
members have been the object of repeated threats
. Despite the seriousness of the bombing, the Cypriot authorities have
yet to issue an official response. While the police are investigating,
they did not issue an information note, contrary to the standard practice in case of such incidents.
The lack of official and public communication regarding the assault
and the investigation, and support for KISA and civil society
organisations in general, indicates a worrying disregard by the
authorities. Indeed, we are deeply concerned about the reported failure
of the authorities and police to take any steps to protect KISA as well
as the inadequate response to the numerous threats, and actual acts of
physical and verbal violence, harassment and smear campaigns formally
reported to the police.
Furthermore, this attack is not an isolated incident, but the result
of a long campaign to discredit and silence independent voices in
Cyprus, in particular KISA. In 2021, 38 organisations
denounced the ongoing harassment against KISA, and the restrictions
imposed on the organisation including its de-registration as a non
governmental organisation. Although KISA has since then a new formal
legal status as a non-profit company and the deregistration is under
appeal, the government – in particular the Ministry of the Interior –
continues to block several of KISA’s essential activities in support of
migrants and refugees.
The undersigned organisations are also deeply concerned that KISA
members and volunteers, in particular former Executive Director Doros Polykarpou,
continues to face criminalisation that appears to be linked with his
activities as a human rights defender. Mr. Polykarpou, was convicted
on 21 December 2023 and, just ten days after the bomb attack, sentenced
to pay a fine for supposedly ’interfering’ with police work in 2019,
after exercising his right to observe a police officer’s interaction
with a young motorcyclist (a minor, stopped for possible traffic
offences) and to provide basic information to the child regarding his
rights. Another trial related to the criminalisation of Mr Polykarpou in
his work as a human rights defender is on-going and concerns a visit to
the Pournara reception centre to investigate claims of inhuman
conditions by unaccompanied children. Mr Polykarpou reported his
physical assault by private security guards in March 2022 but was later
prosecuted for various charges (case 16767/22). These cases follow
decades of criminal chargeslevelled against Mr Polykarpou which
according to KISA are part of a pattern of cases aiming to
intimidate, discredit and interfere with the work of KISA as a human rights defender. Before this
latest ruling, Mr Polykarpou had been acquitted in all legal cases against him.
Our concerns extend beyond the immediate impact on KISA to encompass
broader issues of civic space in Cyprus. In particular, the rise of anti-migrant, racist rhetoric and racist violence in the country is alarming and requires attention and action to change.
In order to promote an enabling environment for independent civil
society and solidarity with migrants and refugees and remove
restrictions to civil society’s space in Cyprus and in Europe as a
whole, the undersigned organisations call upon the following authorities
to:
The Cypriot authorities:
• Publicly condemn the recent bombing attack against KISA, and ensure a
thorough, independent, impartial and prompt investigation into and
appropriate response to the January 5th bombing including the
prioritizing of the hypothesis that the attack was related to KISA’s
human rights and anti-racist work.
• Ensure a thorough, independent, impartial and prompt investigation of
previous complaints presented by KISA and its members regarding
harassment, attacks, smear campaigns, and threats.Implement effective
measures to ensure the safety of KISA’s employees, members and service
users.
• Protect KISA’s freedom of association and end the criminalisation of KISA and its members.
• Take steps to enable KISA to continue its activities, including
granting KISA full access to reception and detention centres where
migrants and refugees are held.
• Take concrete measures to end any legislation or policy which
encourages racism, hate speech, xenophobia and intolerance against
migrants, refugees and racialised people in Cyprus. Take action to
combat extremist narratives and racist rhetoric in the media and public
discourse.
• Comply with international and regional standards on the right to
freedom of association and the protection of human rights defenders, and
in particular the joint OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission Guidelines on Freedom of Association, the OSCE Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders , the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the recommendations of the Council of Europe NGO Expert Group.
The European Union:
• Condemn the attack that took place on 5 January 2024 and other pending complaints,
and call on the Cypriot authorities to ensure an adequate response and
to end the ongoing harassment against KISA and interference in its work,
in line with the 2023 European Commission recommendations
on promoting the engagement and effective participation of citizens and
civil society organisations in public policy-making processes and the Council conclusions on civic space.
• Closely monitor the situation in Cyprus, especially the climate of
violence and xenophobia, addressing the hostility against migrants,
refugees and anti-racist and migrants’ rights
organisations.
• Address these attacks against human rights defenders and their
organisations in the Annual Rule of Law Cycle and make a targeted
recommendation to Cyprus to ensure a safe space for rights defenders and
put an end to the ongoing attacks and to the restrictions on KISA’s
freedom of association and the criminalisation of KISA and its members.
• Call on the Cypriot authorities to respect and uphold the European
Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, the rule of law principles, and the
right to freedom of association.
• Develop an early warning system to detect harassment of individuals
and civic organizations, including those advocating for migrant rights
and racial justice, to prevent their criminalisation. This system should
prompt swift EU-level responses such as recommendations, dialogue,
sanctions, and emergency funding. Additionally, collaborate with civil
society to establish a ’Rapid Response System’ (building on the existing
EU’s external human rights defenders mechanism) offering helplines, legal aid, and temporary relocation to protect civil society since the first signs of attacks.
|
