A recent Supreme Court ruling concerning two men who disappeared in Stroggylos in August 1974 could have wider implications for other missing persons cases, according to lawyer Achilleas Demetriades.
The judgment, issued on 4 September, found that the Republic of Cyprus violated Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights by failing to conduct an effective investigation into the disappearance of the two men.
Court found investigation was ineffective
Demetriades said the significance of the case lies in the court's finding that the state failed to meet its obligation to carry out an effective investigation under the circumstances.
"The important aspect of this case was that the Republic of Cyprus was found responsible because it did not fulfil its duty to conduct an effective investigation," he said.
According to Demetriades, evidence presented to the court indicated that the two men were allegedly abducted by Turkish Cypriot residents of the area and that some individuals potentially linked to the case later moved to government-controlled areas.
Potential implications for similar cases
Demetriades said the decision may serve as a reference point in other missing persons cases where comparable facts exist.
He noted that the case differs from many traditional missing persons cases involving people who disappeared in areas remaining under Turkish control after 1974.
"The Court recognised that there may be parallel responsibility for violations resulting from a failure to provide an effective remedy," he said.
Reference to 'parallel responsibility'
Demetriades said the ruling recognised that responsibility may in some circumstances be shared.
"The Republic of Cyprus bears responsibility because Turkish Cypriots who may have been involved were not questioned. But Turkey also bears responsibility because the disappearance occurred in an area under its control," he said.
He added that similar legal questions have arisen in cases where remains were later discovered and buried in government-controlled areas but investigations into the fate of missing persons were considered inadequate.
Disappearances remain ongoing violations
According to Demetriades, enforced disappearances should be viewed as continuing violations for as long as the fate of the missing person remains unknown.
"Every day that no effective investigation is carried out and the person remains missing constitutes a new violation," he said.
He argued that the issue should be treated not only as a legal matter but primarily as a humanitarian one focused on the rights of families to learn what happened to their relatives.
Call for a truth commission
Demetriades also reiterated his support for the establishment of a Truth Commission on Cyprus's missing persons.
He said such a body could help relatives obtain answers while also serving as a confidence-building measure between the island's two communities.
"A Truth Commission for the missing would help families learn what happened to their loved ones and could also be an important confidence-building measure in efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem," he said.
More than 1,000 identified so far
According to figures from the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP), the official list contains 2,002 missing persons, including 1,510 Greek Cypriots and 492 Turkish Cypriots.
By June 2026, the remains of 1,069 missing persons had been identified and returned to their families.
Demetriades noted that identifying remains does not necessarily establish the circumstances surrounding a person's disappearance or death.
Cyprus urged to ratify UN convention
The lawyer also referred to the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, noting that Cyprus signed the convention on 6 February 2007 but has not ratified it.
He questioned why the Republic had yet to provide that additional layer of international protection.
Source: CNA
