MP Mr.Nikos Tornaritis, head of the Cypriot delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), participated today in a debate at the Plenary Session of the Assembly on ending enforced disappearances on the territory of the Council of Europe.
Mr. Tornaritis stressed that such actions, which are unfortunately carried out on a global scale, are crimes that violate fundamental human rights and violate every concept of international and humanitarian law, first and foremost the rights of victims and their families. The fact that these acts are committed with the complicity, either directly or indirectly, of the state authorities, Mr. Tornaritis pointed out, makes them even more brutal, given the refusal of the authorities to provide the necessary information for the effective investigation of the fate of the missing persons.
Cyprus, Mr. Tornaritis said, has bitter experience of this humanitarian drama. He stressed that there is no greater suffering than that of waiting, which creates soul-destroying emotions, hope and despair at the same time. The funeral of a missing person and the return of remains after so many years is an overwhelming ordeal. The wound of the missing persons has deeply traumatized Cypriot society, hampering efforts for reconciliation and reunification of Cyprus, the Cypriot MP underlined. The Missing Persons' Committee (MMP) is doing commendable work and should be supported in every way, Mr. Tornaritis stressed, expressing the gratitude of the Republic of Cyprus to those Council of Europe member states that financially support the work of the MMP, as well as every effort to eradicate this unacceptable phenomenon, wherever it occurs.
(MB/EXP)
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