Greek Cypriots protest controversial acquittals of police officers

NICOSIA, Cyprus

Hundreds of Greek Cypriots gathered in Nicosia’s central Eleftheria Square on Saturday (April 25th) to protest the recent acquittals of ten police officers accused of brutally beating two students in December 2005. The citizen movement Alert, which vowed to continue protesting until authorities punish the officers, organised the protest.

In March, a Cypriot court acquitted them despite video evidence showing them punching and kicking the two handcuffed students in the street. The amateur video aired on local TV in 2006 and prompted an investigation into the case, which is considered one of the worst incidents of police brutality in the country. The court, however, deemed the video inadmissible.