Turkish Cypriot arrested for displaying Cyprus flag

On July 11 2013 a Turkish Cypriot couple , Koray Basdogrultmaci and Cinel Senem Husseyin were charged with offences against public order for hanging the Cyprus Republic's flag outside their home and shop in Famagusta.

The couple was arrested and jailed even though they had tried to explain to the Turkish Cypriot police that Basdogrultmaci, who was arrested four years ago for the same reason, had been acquitted in court.

The couple said hanging the flag was their way of protesting the Turkish Prime Minister's hypocrisy. Tayyip Erdogan had, the previous day attended the opening ceremony of the Mediterranean Games in Mersin, in Turkey where the Cypriot flag had flown unimpeded.

The Turkish Cypriot couple protested that the Cypriot flag could wave in Turkey but not in northern Cyprus.

The trial has been postponed several times already. At the April 9, 2014 hearing, which was postponed because the judge who was to hear the case was on maternity leave, the couple was asked to show remorse and be fined but they refused.

The couple who prefer to call themselves 'Turkish-speaking Cypriots', declared they are standing proud and they are willing to go to jail to protect their basic human right, freedom of expression rather than pay any fine and that in such a case they would file a case at the European Court of Human Rights.

There are no laws pertaining to flying the Cypriot flag . Holding and hanging the Cyprus Republic flag is not a crime. The related trial against Koray and Cinel Basdogrultmaci is completely political and Turkish authorities are the ones who are responsible.

On the 11th of June 2014 at 8:30am in front of the Famagusta court we would like to express support and solidarity to the couple and his intention to cite international law in support of anyone who's been treated unfairly by the system.