Police looking for man involved in Emba clash

Migrants support NGO Kisa on Monday accused the police of covering up true events in Emba village following an ongoing investigation into a clash there between a group of Greek Cypriots and Syrian refugees.

According to Kisa, a group of Greek Cypriots, led by a member of far right Elam, attacked and injured a young refugee who refused to comply with their demand he move his car from a public space.

Following this, according to Kisa, they hit another refugee with a chair when he had tried to stop them. The clash escalated to the point where a group of around 20 Greek Cypriots attacked a group of eight Syrians who had gathered to protect their injured compatriots.

Kisa claims that at some point during the fight, the Elam-affiliated man pulled out a gun and aimed it at some of the refugees, while verbally threatening them.

The two injured Syrians reported the incident at the local police station but the officers on duty asked them to first go to hospital to be examined before filing their complaint, according to the statement from Kisa.

When they returned to the police, instead of accepting their complaint and without taking statements, the police proceeded to arrest one of the men.

On Sunday afternoon the police launched investigations against the Elam official.

Kisa has condemned what is calls “the inadequate response and unacceptable negligence exhibited by the police” who responded, according to Kisa, “without basic investigation,” as a result of which Kisa says, the police are responsible for the public being left under the impression that refugees and migrants create problems and “constitute a threat to society, inciting thereby racism and hate crime.”

According to police spokesman Michalis Ioannou, after information was obtained that during the incidents on Friday, that a Greek Cypriot had threatened others with a hunting rifle an arrest warrant was secured against him by the police.

The police statement said they are searching for the man in question who has not been located, and is wanted, adding that the movements of the wanted man were recorded by a CCTV unit.

Police have also arrested two people for their involvement in the incident, aged 31 and 23, against whom three-day remand orders have been issued.