Former Green Party candidate in the European parliament elections Oz Karahan was arrested on Tuesday after unfurling a banner which read “Republic of Cyprus: the only solution” at Cyprus’ independence day parade.
Karahan, who was one of three Turkish Cypriot MEP candidates in June, the other two being Akel’s Niyazi Kizilyurek and Volt’s Hulusi Kilim.
He was arrested on Tuesday alongside fellow Green Party activist, Greek Cypriot former Sigma TV journalist Giorgos Tattis.
According to reports, the pair unfurled the banner at the parade and were informed by police that displaying banners with political content at the parade is prohibited.
However, they reportedly refused to take the banner down, and as such were arrested.
The banner had been visible on social media throughout Monday and Tuesday, with Karahan having shared an image resembling it on his social media campaign alongside a link to a petition created by the “pan-Cyprian mobilisation for the freedom of Cyprus”.
The petition demands a solution to the Cyprus problem through various means, including “initiating a global boycott and sanction campaign against Turkey for its war crimes and violations of human rights in Cyprus”.
Green Party leader Giorgos Perdikis reacted furiously to the two activists’ arrest, declaring it a “bad start” for the Republic of Cyprus’ new chief of police and deputy, who were both sworn in on Monday after President Nikos Christodoulides had fired their predecessors over their mishandling of the escape from custody of convicted double murderer Doros Theofanous.
Perdikis told the Cyprus News Agency he is waiting for the police to allow him the right to meet the two activists, who have now both been detained.
“This right is not being respected either,” he said.
He said the day began when the pair attempted to hold the banner in front of the section where officials were housed to watch the parade, and that “the police intervened to grab their banner and take them away, and it appears there was some sort of altercation.”
“I charge the police with excessive strictness, for a matter about which they should not have been so strict and aggressive. And it is still aggressive,” he said.
He added that he does not know whether the pair have been charged yet.
“The police of Christodoulides not only arrested the two persons, but took them to the station in handcuffs, where they were interrogated as common criminals,” he said, adding that this constitutes a “bad omen” for new police chief Themis Arnaoutis’ tenure.
A banner matching the description of that which was reportedly unfurled at the parade
