Fact: Accept LGBTI Cyprus reported three homophobic attacks in the past ten days, with one recent attack occurring in Nicosia where individuals verbally assaulted and threw fireworks at a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Uganda’s constitutional court refused to annul or suspend an anti-LGBTQ law that includes the death penalty for certain same-sex acts, but voided some provisions that were inconsistent with certain fundamental human rights.
Hong Kong will now allow transgender individuals who have not undergone full sex reassignment surgery to change their gender on their ID cards. The new policy comes after a court ruling in February that deemed the previous requirement a violation of transgender rights. The revised criteria include surgical and hormonal requirements, which some activists find too extreme and a violation of individuals’ rights.
Pyotr Verzilov, a Russian-Canadian activist and founder of an independent news site, was sentenced to eight years and four months in absentia for criticizing the war in Ukraine on social media.
Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdish leader, has been in solitary confinement on Imrali island since 1999, with no communication since March 2021. Despite his efforts for peace in the Middle East, European leaders remain silent on his situation and human rights violations. Ibrahim Bilmez, Öcalan’s lawyer, urges Europe to recognize Öcalan’s efforts and demand his release to help bring peace to the region.
Turkey’s local elections were competitive, with the opposition winning a significant victory over President Erdogan’s AK Party. The elections were held in a polarized environment, raising concerns about freedom of expression. The Council of Europe called for more efforts to ensure a fair and democratic political and media environment in Turkey.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou stated that the government can see signs of a potential solution to the Cyprus problem in the near future.
Fact: Turkish Cypriot authorities have barred Cameroonian anti-racism campaigner Emmanuel Achiri from entering the north, where he had lived for almost a decade.
– The death inquiry into the 2005 death of national guardsmen Thanasis Nicolaou will happen after Easter, with the next trial date set for May 10 to determine whether his death was the result of strangulation or suicide.
– Experts and pathologists presented testimonies pointing to the fact that Nicolaou was strangled.
– The conclusion that his death was due to a criminal act and not suicide was reached after exhumation and examination of Nicolaou’s bones in 2020.
– Public prosecutor Xenia Xenophontos maintained the suicide theory, despite condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights.
– The court rejected requests from medical examiner Stavrianos and other pathologists to attend the proceedings or provide testimony.
The 22nd edition of the Cyprus Film Days International Festival will take place from April 12-20, 2024. The festival will feature 11 films in competition sections, with winners selected by a five-member international jury. The jury will present awards such as Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, among others. The winners will be announced on April 20, 2024, at the Closing and Awards Ceremony. Additionally, the festival will include screenings of films selected by the jury and a special programme called “The Jury Presents.”