B10‑0376/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on  the Detention of EU Citizens in the occupied areas of Cyprus

(2025/2860(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983), 550 (1984), 1251 and subsequent renewals affirming the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of Cyprus,

– having regard to Rule 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 19 July 2025, five elderly Greek Cypriot citizens were arbitrarily arrested in Trikomo while visiting their ancestral properties, charged with spurious offenses including “illegal entry” and “espionage,” and remain detained despite health problems;

B. whereas Cyprus condemned the arrests as unlawful, provocative and politically motivated, noting their timing before the 51st anniversary of Turkey’s 1974 invasion;

C. whereas the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)” is an entity recognized only by Turkey, with UNSC Resolutions 541 and 550 declaring its unilateral declaration null and void;

D. whereas 37% of Cyprus remains under Turkish military occupation, with Turkey exercising effective control and thus bearing responsibility for human rights violations, as confirmed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR);

E. whereas the detentions breach fundamental rights including liberty, property and fair trial guarantees, and highlight the absence of the rule of law in the occupied areas;

F.  whereas observers, including Turkish Cypriot lawyers, criticized the arrests as politically motivated; whereas property usurpation, intimidation of enclaved Cypriots, and restrictions on freedom of religion  and exercise of cultural expression persists;

G.  whereas such actions aim to deter displaced Greek Cypriots from visiting or reclaiming properties, undermine confidence-building and jeopardize the peace effort;

H. whereas the EU recognizes only the Republic of Cyprus, and detention of EU citizens by an unrecognized regime is an affront to the Union;

I. whereas Turkey’s refusal to recognize Cyprus and its ongoing occupation remain major obstacles in EU-Turkey relations;

1. Strongly condemns the unlawful detention of the five Greek Cypriot citizens and demands their immediate and unconditional release;

2. Reaffirms that Cyprus is the sole legitimate authority which has the right to exercise jurisdiction on the entire territory of Cyprus;

3. Stresses that the charges in the occupied territory are unfounded, politically motivated, and in violation of international law and the ECHR;

4. Urges an end of the occupation of Cyprus, to be settled within the UN framework, in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions; stresses the need for Turkey to constructively take part in this dialogue and commit to its international obligations and withdraw support of  the legally invalid entity;

5. Urges EU and Member States to coordinate diplomatic pressure, raise the case in international fora, and use all available measures;

6. Calls on the EEAS to monitor human rights in the occupied areas, report regularly, and ensure EU presence at proceedings;

7. Notes that Turkey’s continued breaches negatively impacts EU-Turkey relations;

8. Emphasizes that this is a European issue of principle; defending Cyprus’s sovereignty is essential to EU credibility;

9. Expresses solidarity with the Government and people of Cyprus as well as with the families of the detained;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the relevant parties.

B10‑0391/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda

(2025/2861(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to its previous human rights resolutions on Rwanda,

1. whereas on 20 June 2025, Rwandan authorities arrested prominent opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, head of the unregistered DALFA‑Umurinzi party, on charges including “inciting public disorder” and “forming a criminal organisation,” in a move widely denounced as politically motivated;

2. whereas the arrest follows Ingabire’s participation as a witness in a trial against individuals accused of distributing a book advocating peaceful resistance; whereas her bail was denied in July 2025 and she remains in custody, further illustrating the regime’s intolerance for dissent;

3. whereas Ingabire had previously been imprisoned from 2010 to 2018 on similar politically charged accusations and was released on presidential pardon, being barred from political activity;

4. whereas the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights ruled in 2017 that her prior detention violated her fundamental rights, a judgment Rwanda has systematically ignored;

5. whereas Rwanda’s 2024 presidential election saw President Paul Kagame re-elected with over 99 % of the vote amid the disqualification of credible opposition candidates, confirming concerns over democratic backsliding;

1. Strongly condemns the new arrest of Victoire Ingabire and ongoing judicial oppression of political opposition in Rwanda;

2. Demands her immediate and unconditional release and the restoration of her full civil and political rights;

3. Deplores the overall human rights situation in Rwanda and in particular the targeted persecution of dissenting voices; condemns politically motivated trials and the prosecution of political opponents; urges the Rwandan authorities to ensure the separation of powers, in particular the independence of the judiciary;

4. Reminds that human rights violations linked to the Rwandan authorities are not limited to actions within Rwanda’s borders, but also extend to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where multiple UN reports have implicated Rwanda in providing military and logistical support to the M23 rebel group, responsible for serious atrocities, including massacres of civilians, sexual violence, and mass displacement in eastern Congo;

5. Calls on the European Union and Member States to increase diplomatic pressure, while considering targeted measures, such as visa restrictions or financial sanctions, against individuals responsible for undermining political freedoms in Rwanda;

6. Asks the Commission to critically review the EU’s support to the Rwandan Government and state institutions to ensure that it fully promotes human rights and has no negative repercussions on the freedoms of expression and association, political pluralism, respect for the rule of law and an independent civil society;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the African Union, the United Nations, and the government of Rwanda.