A Greek Cypriot man was arrested in the north on Thursday after he unfurled a Greek flag over a monument just outside Varosha, the fenced-off part of Famagusta.

Reports said passers-by spotted the man as he was draping a Greek flag around a statue at a roundabout junction outside Varosha. They notified the north’s police, who arrived at the scene and took the man into custody.

The Greek Cypriot was taken to a police station in Famagusta, where he was being held for the night.

He faces a single charge – that of “conduct unbecoming.” On Friday he will appear before a judge.