European parliament hosts event on new evidence regarding missing persons in Cyprus

On Wednesday, a parliamentary event titled 'New findings and testimonies regarding the missing persons of Cyprus' was held in Brussels, organized by MEP Costas Mavrides. The session focused on new photographic evidence and testimonies concerning events from mid-August 1974 in the occupied territories of Mia Milia and Lapithos. Researcher Odysseas Christou presented a photograph depicting an blindfolded Greek Cypriot prisoner of war, which has reportedly been authenticated by a Turkish journalist. The image is associated with accounts of a vehicle referred to as the 'black Mercedes,' linked to numerous prisoner testimonies. Statistics cited during the event indicate approximately 800 Greek Cypriots and 200 Turkish Cypriots remain missing since the 1974 conflict. The event was attended by relatives of the missing, former prisoners of war, and François-Xavier Bellamy, the European Parliament’s permanent rapporteur for missing persons in Cyprus. The organizers aimed to advocate for the continued search for remains and the verification of the fate of the missing as a fundamental humanitarian issue.