CMP

691 missing Greek Cypriots no longer sought

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691 missing Greek Cypriots no longer sought

691 Greek Cypriots who went missing during the Turkish invasion are not being sought by the Committee on Missing Persons or the Republic of Cyprus. This is due to pressure from the Turkish side to reduce the number of missing persons and the belief that these individuals were killed during hostilities. The issue of 565 fallen and 126 removed from the missing persons list was raised in a parliamentary committee session. Testimonies placing some of the 126 in certain locations have emerged, leading to their cases being reconsidered for investigation. Relatives of the missing are frustrated with the lack of effort to determine the fate of their loved ones.

Estonian president on official visit to Cyprus

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Estonian president on official visit to Cyprus

Estonian President Alar Karis will meet with President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday.

Truth commission in Cyprus is crucial to reconciliation

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Truth commission in Cyprus is crucial to reconciliation

Achilleas Demetriades, a human rights lawyer and former presidential candidate in Cyprus, proposed converting the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) into a truth commission during a meeting in the UK parliament. His proposal aims to enable the CMP to investigate the circumstances and cause of death of missing persons, beyond its current function of locating and disinterring missing individuals. Demetriades suggests amending the CMP’s terms of reference to allow investigations into how 1,510 Greek Cypriots and 492 Turkish Cypriots disappeared. He argues for statutory immunity from prosecution for those providing information to the commission, noting that current guarantees might not suffice for the broader scope of a truth commission. Transitional justice processes like truth commissions, exemplified by South Africa’s Truth Commission established in 1995, are highlighted as effective in overcoming conflict and promoting reconciliation. The article also mentions the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy to Cyprus, Maria Holguin, and the potential for establishing a truth commission in Cyprus, with support from the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, emphasizing the importance of truth for reconciliation and preventing the repetition of conflicts.

Greece donates , €40,000 to CMP

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Greece donates , €40,000 to CMP

The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus has received a donation of €40,000 from the Hellenic Republic, bringing Greece’s total financial assistance to the CMP to €385,000 since 2006. The CMP was established in 1981 and is co-funded by the European Union. It has identified and returned 1,044 missing persons to their families for dignified burials. The CMP relies on donor support to implement its project.