Queer Cyprus Association Press Release

On 29 November 2016, high school students organized a demonstration with the slogan "We can't go to school in dark" to protest the implementations and negligence which led to a fatal car crash between a truck and a school bus. During the general strike and protest organized with the call of unions to support the cause, the police attacked the protestors with disproportionate violence, and arrested and battered multiple people including two Queer Cyprus activists without any legal or legitimate justification. The individuals taken under arrest, placed a complaint about the police following the incident.

Although months have passed since the incident, the government has not taken any initiatives regarding the issues caused by traffic and time change, and the responsible authorities have not resigned. Additionally, the protestors were not informed about any legal inquiries following their complaints. As a matter of fact, we have also been informed that some individuals were verbally pressured by the police to withdraw their complaints after their complaints were filed.

Considering the negligence, while politicians, the actual people responsible for the traffic accidents which we consider equal to murder, are enjoying top model cars bought with the taxes paid by the public; one protestor, who is grieving for the death of students and is seeking justice in order to avoid similar incidents from happening stands trial today at the Criminal Court in Nicosia.

In a country where criminals freely walk, protestors stand trial for seeking justice and an accident occurs every passing day due to neglect, as the Queer Cyprus Association we announce that we will continue our cause until the primarily responsible people are accounted for the murders; and we also express that we stand by our activist Havva Güleş, who was unlawfully battered and arrested while seeking justice and is now being accused, and we will be closely following the judicial process.

Queer Cyprus Association