The First Lady of the Republic of Cyprus, Philippa Karsera, has announced her departure from the Independent Social Support Body (ISSB) through a public statement on social media. Expressing deep concern and sadness, Karsera described a relentless wave of attacks over the past 24 hours involving the spread of fake news, defamatory comments, and allegations of criminal conduct from both named and anonymous accounts. She warned that the mass reproduction of these baseless claims constitutes a violation of the human rights of both herself and her family, asserting that her role as the President’s spouse does not justify such personal attacks.
Karsera stated that she has already sought legal counsel, emphasizing that defending one’s rights is a duty rather than a mere choice. She noted that the “war” against her intensified specifically after March 2023, once the ISSB’s budget was increased to provide scholarships to a significantly larger number of children from underprivileged families throughout 2024 and 2025. In response to the hostility, she has called an emergency meeting of the ISSB Management Committee for tomorrow to formally announce her resignation. She clarified that her exit is not due to a lack of desire to help children, but because she refuses to allow the integrity of her family to be slandered under the pretext of the ISSB’s operation—an organization from which she claims no committee member receives any personal benefit.
Beyond the ISSB, the First Lady has decided to step down from all other charitable organizations where she serves as executive chair, roles traditionally held by previous First Ladies. She condemned the practice of defaming individuals for political, partisan, or electoral gain, labeling it a lack of political ethics. Karsera concluded by stating that titles and official roles are not required to help those in need and that she will continue to support children and vulnerable groups quietly and selflessly as an active citizen and mother, while strictly upholding the law and defending human rights.