The systematic and blatant violation of human rights in Cyprus by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot occupation regime were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Occupied Municipalities Committee and the Human Rights Officer at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Roanna Tay.
“Ms Tay showed keen interest and great sensitivity with regard to the violation of our religious rights, not only through the destruction of religious and historical monuments in the occupied areas, but also through the systematic and unjustified prohibition of religious services from being held in our occupied churches” the Committee said in a press release on Wednesday.
The two sides also discussed “the recent worrisome statements of the occupation regime expressing their intention to impose taxes on the humanitarian aid transferred by the United Nations to the enclaved, (Greek Cypriots living in the northern Turkish occupied part of Cypruw) as well as the controls imposed on all goods transferred to the occupied areas for their needs, such as censoring school books”, the press release added.
Tay will make use of the material she collected during her visit to prepare the United Nations annual report on the human rights situation in Cyprus, the Committee noted.
The purpose of these reports, Tay stressed, is to keep the Cyprus problem high on the UN agenda, presenting all of its aspects.