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Action Alert - Cyprus Newspaper target of bomb attack
**For further information on previous incidents involving "Avrupa", see IFEX alerts of 29 and 27 November, 11 July, 20 June, 19 May, 2 February and 5 January 2000 and others**
(IPI/IFEX) - In a 25 May 2001 letter to the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Rauf Raif Denktash, IPI strongly condemned a bomb attack on a newspaper in northern Cyprus.
On 24 May, a bomb exploded at the printing office of opposition newspaper "Avrupa". The bomb caused serious damage to the building and set off a fire which destroyed 300 kg of printing paper, old newspapers, newsprint and other printing equipment. The bomb also shattered windows in a nearby building. There were no injuries in the explosion and police say that no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. "Avrupa" has been targeted frequently in the past in apparent response to the newspaper's critical reporting of the government in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The owner and editor-in-chief of "Avrupa", Sener Levent, and several of the newspaper's reporters were arrested on 8 July
2000 for "espionage
activities" and "attempts to infiltrate military circles." The journalists were later acquitted. In addition, office
equipment has been seized from the newspaper, several defamation suits have been brought against the newspaper and in
December 1999 a court fined "Avrupa" US$260,000 for allegedly libelling President Denktash. Moreover, there have been
numerous judicial attempts to close down the newspaper, and its staff have received several threats as a result of
"Avrupa"'s criticism of the self-proclaimed authorities in northern Cyprus.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the president:
- expressing your belief that the attack against "Avrupa" is in gross
violation of everyone's right to "seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media" as guaranteed by
Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is a callous attempt to silence the
newspaper- urging the authorities in northern Cyprus to ensure that there is a swift and thorough investigation into this
matter and that those guilty are brought to justice- further urging that all possible steps are taken to guarantee that
journalists covering events in northern Cyprus are allowed to report freely and without fear of harassment
APPEALS TO:
H.E. Rauf Raif Denktash
President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Office of the President
Lefkosa, Cyprus
Fax: + 90 392 22 78 516
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2, A-1010 Vienna, Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: Michael Kudlak at mkudlak@freemedia.at, or Barbara Trionfi at info@freemedia.at, Internet site: www.freemedia.at
The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or
publication, please credit IPI.
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