The British government has announced that it would pay a sum total of £1.0 million (i.e. 1.1 million euros) to the thirty-three Cypriots who had earlier claimed that they were mistreated while in detention during the anti-British rule campaign on the island nation.
In a written statement, Alan Duncan, Junior foreign minister has revealed the payments that are related to the so-named “Emergency” period of when Cyprus used to be a British colony (during 1955-1959). He announced that the government, while not admitting any kind liability (primarily due to the fact that issues as far behind as 60 years ago were impossible to be weighed with certainty), has reached mutual agreement with the claimants, and is willing to compensate for the losses.
He went on to express regret, speaking of how the British government is unhappy with the transition of Cyprus from British administration to independence having taken loss of life and violence over five years.
The Cypriots – all Greek – had previously made claims of human rights abuses and torture at the colonialists’ hands and had started their battle in 2015. Some of these were former members of the Eoka, the Greek Cypriot nationalist guerrilla organization which fought against British rule.
