A/HRC/13/7
74.
Regarding a position expressed that the issue of properties could only be fully
solved through a comprehensive settlement, Cyprus considered that each individual had an
unquestionable right to pursue the realization of human rights in courts including the
European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice.
75.
Cyprus appreciated that the last report of the European Committee for the
Prevention of Torture in 2008, which had highlighted, inter alia, the enactment of the Law
on the Rights of Arrested and Detained Persons and the establishment of the Independent
Authority for the Investigation of Allegations against the Police. The Committee had
observed that laminated information sheets were available at all police stations in ten
languages and noted improvements of the conditions at the police establishments visited.
76.
Cyprus recalled a number of mechanisms and criminal procedures to investigate
allegations of police misconduct and to sanction where appropriate. During the first 10
months of 2009, the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations against the
Police had received 96 complaints. A number of complaints were still pending, while some
of the completed investigations had led to criminal and/or disciplinary prosecutions against
police officers. The delegation quoted the numbers of criminal and disciplinary cases
against members of the police investigated annually, and their outcome, and noted that
since 2005, 14 members of the police found guilty of criminal or disciplinary charges had
been either dismissed or forced to resign. Cyprus stated that the numbers reflected the
determination of the authorities to eliminate phenomena of police misconduct and illtreatment of people.
77.
Cyprus indicated that measures recently taken to prevent and combat trafficking of
human beings, including the imposition of stricter criteria for visa issuing, were still too
new for their effectiveness to be evaluated. Cyprus was seeking to increase international
cooperation and particularly welcomed any assistance, especially from the countries of
origin of trafficked persons.
78.
Cyprus referred to data relating to the past five years indicating an average of 1,000
incidents of domestic violence annually, with a tendency of a slight increase. Since 1994
the number of non-domestic homicides per year had increased while, in contrast, the
domestic/family homicide rate for the same period had significantly decreased. It was
believed that the difference between the domestic and non-domestic homicide rates was
attributable to the coordinated efforts and campaigns to prevent and combat domestic
violence against women. Campaigns on violence against women and children were
conducted annually by the competent authorities, including to deter and prevent domestic
violence and to challenge societal attitudes.
79.
The overall objective on which the migration system is based is to, inter alia, protect
human rights and to ensure the fair treatment of migrants. Cyprus remains focused on the
need to control illegal immigration. In principle, the migration policy in Cyprus is
formulated on the basis of the present and future needs of the labour market, as expressed in
the national employment strategy. The model protects third-country migrants from
exploitation and at the same time, ensures that the problem of a mismatch in the labour
market does not arise.
80.
Cyprus faces particular pressures in the asylum system owing to its geographical
location, being near to a politically unstable area which produces a high percentage of
asylum claims, especially from applicants entitled to international protection, compounded
by the fact that it has unguarded points of entries in the areas not under the control of the
Government. The measures adopted aim towards the achievement of a fair, fast and
efficient asylum procedure. Some of the measures include the use of fast-track procedures,
the recruitment of new staff at the Asylum Service, the posting of asylum eligibility officers
at the points of submission of asylum applications, and specialized training programmes.
14
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