Two criminal investigators appointed to examine allegations of police brutality at a Gaza protest in Nicosia last October have reached opposing conclusions, with one recommending the prosecution of a commanding officer and the other finding no criminal offences were committed, according to philenews sources.
The investigators’ report has been submitted to the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints Against the Police (IAIACAP), which will study the findings and submit its own recommendation to the Law Office, sources said.
What happened
The incidents occurred on the evening of Thursday, October 2, outside the Foreign Ministry during a protest organised in response to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza. IAIACAP appointed two criminal investigators to examine complaints from those present that police had used excessive force.
Videos circulating online after the incident showed riot police using pepper spray and batons against protesters. A protester was injured and taken to hospital. Journalist Beisan Ibraheem, a reporter for the Dialogos Media Group, was pushed and thrown to the ground twice and had pepper spray sprayed in her face, despite identifying herself as a journalist four times. The Cyprus Journalists’ Union condemned the incident and called on Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis to order an investigation.
Protesters alleged they were attacked without provocation. Demonstrator Andrianos Charalambous told state television that officers from the Rapid Response Motorised Unit arrived without warning and without making any announcement asking protesters to clear the road. “They came; someone gave a shout and turned back to those lined up, and they simply attacked,” he said.
Italian journalist Massimiliano Sfregola, who was covering the protest for Italian daily Il Manifesto, said the pepper spray was deployed indiscriminately. “The spray was used 360 degrees. It was not targeting one person. It was pretty random,” he said. Following the police intervention, demonstrators spontaneously sat down on the ground, turning the gathering into a sit-in. Within half an hour, people had begun to clear the street voluntarily.
Police maintained they intervened to prevent escalation and ensure public safety, saying the force used was proportionate. They said no one had taken responsibility for organising the protest, which complicated coordination and the maintenance of public order. A senior police officer gave protesters a deadline to move onto the pavement and continue their demonstration, but this went unheeded. Officers were then instructed to intervene to clear the road for traffic, police said. Police said they had applied the lawful proclamation for dispersal of the event.
AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou wrote to Police Chief Arnaoutis demanding a full investigation, saying the incidents were “reminiscent of authoritarian regimes and practices that reek of fascism.” The Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation called on the Police Chief and Justice Minister Costas Fytiris to proceed with an immediate and in-depth investigation.
Split findings
According to philenews sources, the two investigators are divided on their conclusions. One recommends the criminal prosecution of the officer who commanded the police unit on the night. The other concludes that no criminal offences were committed by anyone, on the grounds that police had applied the lawful proclamation for the dispersal of the event.
The final decision rests with IAIACAP, which will examine the witness statements, the investigators’ recommendations, and the supervising officer’s report before forwarding the file to the Law Office for consideration and a decision.
During the investigation, new complaints emerged from members of the public who had been present and submitted video footage they recorded during the incidents, sources said.
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