The police campaign to criminalise KISA and its struggle for defending human rights has met with total failure, as the police attorney realised that the charges against Doros Polykarpou, KISA Chairperson, for “disobeying a court order and for receiving stolen goods”, were totally unfounded and would not, therefore, stand in court. So, yesterday, with the Attorney General’s agreement, the case against Doros Polykarpou was dropped. The outcry and coordinated mobilisation, both in Cyprus and abroad, against the campaign of the police and the state authorities to criminalise and silence KISA and its leaders, have played a substantial role in the withdrawal of the case.

As it is well known, the charges concerned fund raising by KISA in order to collect money required for an urgent surgery to save the life of a migrant domestic worker, a treatment that her employer refused to pay for as he ought to have done, according to the law. The police took advantage of a legal void which does not allow fund raising for health reasons and took KISA to court, an organisation that has for 10 years now, with consistency, altruism and a fighting spirit, has been defending, protecting and advocating for the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, gaining the respect of human rights defenders both in Cyprus and abroad.

It is noted that the government and the Attorney General had for months been receiving numerous letters of protest and recommendations from Cyprus and Europe, including the European Parliament, for withdrawing the case, in vain. What especially made such a big impression internationally was the way that a NGO such as KISA had been persecuted, unheard of in countries that want to be included in the democratic world.

The withdrawal of the prosecution of KISA is a significant victory for the human rights movement in Cyprus and a slap on the face for the authoritarian methods of the government and the police against freedom of expression, different and independent opinion, criticism and every voice protesting and claiming human rights in Cyprus. KISA would like to thank all organisations and activists who joined the KISA Solidarity Initiative and all other organisations and persons who supported its fight, and it declares, once again, that it will not succumb to any effort for intimidating it, its leaders and members. On the contrary, KISA will further intensify its struggle and actions for the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, against xenophobia, discrimination, racism and the powers to be.

KISA Steering Committee


10 January 2008