The Paralimni and Deryneia municipality on Friday called on the government to take action after mayor Giorgos Nikolettos and Deryneia deputy mayor Nikos Lillis were both reportedly placed on a blacklist by the north.
A spokesperson for the municipality told the Cyprus Mail both had been part of a delegation that had visited the village of Kato Deryneia under the banner of the Unenslaved Kato Deryneia group on Sunday.
They said it then came to light that both had been placed on a blacklist when others attempted to cross to the north later in the week, with one even being arrested before later being released.
They decried the “new provocative acts undertaken by the occupying regime which have arisen as a reaction to a peaceful crossing” of the group to the north.
“It is said when refugees visit their homes which have been occupied for 50 years and face an angry reaction from the occupying regime,” they added.
They therefore called on the government to take “all the neccessary actions” to remove both Nikolettos and Lillis from the blacklist, and to also “stand by our side in all awareness and information campaigns we carry out about our occupied land in Cyprus and abroad.”
According to news website Reporter, the ‘Unenslaved Kato Deryneia’ group also sent a letter to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (Unficyp) chief Colin Stewart on the matter.
President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed that he had been informed and said Cyprus’ foreign ministry is “already taking concrete actions … through diplomatic channels” on the matter, both with the European Union and the UN.
