A/HRC/43/22 discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes, including against migrants, Turkish Cypriots and Roma, and ensuring that such acts do not go unpunished.16 29. During the reporting period, criminal prosecutions were finalized against a number of the Greek Cypriot individuals accused of attacking vehicles belonging to Turkish Cypriots on 18 November 2015. Eight of the accused pleaded guilty on a number of charges, of whom three were sentenced and five were awaiting sentence, while four of the accused had the charges against them dropped.17 30. The Secretary-General has noted that the recent hiatus and uncertainty concerning the political process have been accompanied by a steady increase in low-level tensions, as well as persisting mistrust across the divide (S/2019/562, para. 10). UNFICYP continued its work to alleviate tensions and promote cooperation between the communities. It also continued to provide humanitarian assistance to Greek Cypriot and Maronite communities and individuals in the northern part of Cyprus and Turkish Cypriot communities in the south, including through home and school visits, humanitarian deliveries, post-mortem transfers and visits to detention facilities (ibid., para. 34). However, the Secretary-General and the Security Council have called for more to be done by the leaders and the sides, including in the areas of public rhetoric, impediments to peace in school curricula, and conflicting and divisive narratives about the past (S/2019/562, para. 53).18 C. Freedom of movement and the right to seek asylum 31. According to article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State, as well as the right to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their country. 19 Article 14 provides that everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.20 32. In Cyprus, crossings between the northern and southern parts of the island remain possible only through nine official crossing points, which obviously limits freedom of movement. During the period under review, UNFICYP reported 3,624,256 official crossings through the buffer zone. 33. The ability of Cypriots to travel across the Green Line has been important for their enjoyment of the right to freedom of movement, as well as to build intercommunal contacts and to access other rights. As noted by the Secretary-General, the opening of Deryneia/Derinya crossing point in November 2018 has promoted cooperation in the Greater Famagusta region, and the Deryneia Garage has shown promise as a hub for bicommunal activity in the area. Furthermore, on 26 May 2019, an unprecedented number of over 5,600 Turkish Cypriots crossed from the north to the south to vote in the election of representatives of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Parliament, resulting in the election of the first Turkish Cypriot Member of the European Parliament (S/2019/562, paras. 7 and 30). 34. In its report of July 2019, the European Commission documented an increase in the number of Greek Cypriots and a decrease in the number of Turkish Cypriots who crossed the Green Line during 2018, as well as a continued increase in the number of crossings by European Union citizens other than Cypriots and third country nationals. No incidents concerning crossings were reported in 2018, but Turkish Cypriot buses carrying European Union citizens were still not permitted to cross to the south of the island. 21 16 17 18 19 20 21 See https://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session32/CY/HC_letter_Cyprus.pdf. See also CCPR/C/CYP/QPR/5, paras. 4, 5 and 24. Nicosia Police Director v. KB and others, case No. 15043/2016, 28 June 2019, Nicosia District Court. See also Security Council resolutions 2453 (2019) and 2483 (2019). See also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 12. Ibid. European Commission, Report from the Commission to the Council, COM(2019) 323 final, 5 July 2019, section 1.1. 7