Action

ACTION CYPRUS

AN HEC PROJECT

Illegal beech volleyball international

Campaign of Protest

A team representing the Netherlands is planning to compete in an illegal beach volleyball competition in occupied Cyprus to celebrate the anniversary of the illegal Turkish invasion.

Please send protest e-mails to Themis-CEV@HEC.GREECE.ORG

Your e-mails will be forwarded to the relevant sports governing authorises.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has come to my attention that a team representing the Netherlands (Holland) is planning to play in an illegal beach volleyball competition which is to be held in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus on 20 July 2006 to celebrate the illegal Turkish invasion and ethnic cleansing of Cyprus which occurred in 1974.

Participation in this illegal competition will not only violate CEV and FIVB regulations but it will violate Cyprus, EU and international law as well as UN resolutions 541(1983) and 550(1984) which demand that all states not facilitate the illegal pseudo-state set up in occupied Cyprus by the Turkish military in any way.

The Netherlands team plan to enter Cyprus illegally via the illegal airport in the occupied village of Tymbou which is built illegally on land owned by 200 Greek Cypriot refugees who were ethnically cleansed by Turkey when it invaded Cyprus in 1974 in violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, and will be using facilities, hotels and property which legally belong to 200,000 ethnically cleansed Greek Cypriots.

The legitimate Government of the Republic of Cyprus whose authority extends to all of the islands territory (including the occupied areas) has declared all the harbours and airports in occupied Cyprus closed to traffic and any entry from these points is illegal and punishable by the courts. In addition the illegal exploitation of refugees property in occupied Cyprus is punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment and extradition for this offence is enforceable in all EU member states.

The presence of the Netherlands team in occupied Cyprus which is not a CEV member, will not only bring the CEV and its sponsors into disrepute but will also bring the reputation of the FIVB into disrepute as well unless action  is taken to stop it. This illegal match has already been condemned in the  European Parliament by Greek MEP Giorgos Karatzaferis.

I therefore ask that the CEV take action against the Netherlands team which will be competing in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus in violation of CEV regulations if the Netherlands team do not pull out of this illegal match immediately.


Yours faithfully,

© 2001/2006 HEC and Argyros Argyrou. Updated on 14 July 2006.