Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Pancyprian Association For The Protection Of Human Rights - Urgent Appeal
by Stelios Theodoulou
Posted: Saturday, December 30, 2000 01:46 am CST

URGENT APPEAL

Cypriot father-of-three Panicos Tsiakkourmas, forcibly abducted by the Turkish occupation forces and/or Turkish Cypriots being under the authority and/or command and/or control of the Turkish occupation forces on December 12. Tsiakkourmas, a building contractor, was on his way to Pergamos village, within the area of the British military Bases, to collect a number of Turkish Cypriot workers he employs on building sites.

The kidnapped man, a diabetic, is being kept in prison without medical treatment and on December 27th he was in urgent need of medical care.

It is strongly believed that following his abduction, Tsiakkourmas was taken to Tymbou illegal airport by the "Turkish security forces" who planted on him a fair amount of drugs with a view to incriminating him.

The 39-year-old Panicos Tsiakkourmas' case was committed to "trial" and he will remain in "police custody" until the "assize court" convenes sometime in February, said an UNFICYP's spokesman.

Both Britain and the Cyprus government believe that the Greek Cypriot was illegally abducted and "remanded" on trumped up drugs charges as a reprisal against the earlier arrest of Turkish Cypriot Omar Techoglu, 42, found in possession of 2 kilos of heroin on December 2. The Turkish occupation forces claim that Techoglu was "kidnapped" by Cypriot police in an illegal sting operation. He will stand trial on heroin smuggling charges on January 12. "Our views are quite clear. All the evidence points in one direction and there is no suggestion that he (Tsiakkourmas) was in any way involved in drugs," British High Commission spokesman Jonathan Allen told AFP.

Given the fact that:
a. Tsiakkourmas was abducted while being in the area of the British military base of Dhekelia (as verified by the Commander of the base); b. Tsiakkourmas was not in any way involved in drugs (as verified by Mr. Jonathan Allen, spokesman of the British High Commission, following an investigation by the British authorities, including a forensic examination of Tsiakkourmas' car from which he was abducted); We appeal for urgent action towards Turkey for the immediate release of the illegally abducted Cypriot.

Stelios Theodoulou,
President of the Pancyprian Association For the Protection of Human Rights

Forwarding a copy of your action to our Association (theocy@cytanet.com.cy ) will be highly appreciated.

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