Akel leader slams Paphos priest for not naming teen killed in 1974 during memorial

Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou on Sunday launched a complaint that a priest in a Paphos village refused to name a teenager killed in 1973 during a memorial service.

“Disgrace and shame. The priest in Choletria refused to mention the hero Kyriacos Papalazarou. An attitude totally unacceptable that caused outrage in the family and the attendees,” Stefanou said in a post on Twitter.

“We are really angry that the priest refused to mention him,” he added, “I want to denounce this fact”.

He was killed on July 1, 1973 by members of Eoka B.

Stefanou was in the village to attend the memorial of Kyriacos and his brother Sotiris, who died on July 20, 1974 during the Turkish invasion, at the Ayios Panteleimonos church.

The Akel leader said he would raise the matter with the bishop of Paphos, and even theArchbishop.

However, Bishop Georgios of Papho said he had already apologised to the family, after episodes broke out when Kyriacos was not named.

The bishop said that last week a memorial was held for those killed in the coup and the priest thought it was not necessary to name Kyriacos again on Sunday.

“It was his mistake,” the bishop said.