The UK government has reached a £1 mln out of court settlement with 33 veteran EOKA fighters, who sought damages for the torture they suffered at the hands of British colonial forces during the uprising of 1955-59.
A UK government statement said “the settlement does not constitute any admission of liability and is not a precedent in respect of any potential future claims against the Government: the passage of time means that it is now no longer possible to establish all of the facts with certainty. The Government has settled the case in order to draw a line under this litigation, avoid the further escalation of costs, and to focus firmly on the future in its relations with Cyprus.”
The group of elderly Cypriot EOKA veterans had alleged they were abused and tortured by British soldiers and security services whilst held in custody when they were teenagers in Cyprus.
Two women were among the victims, whose claims of brutal treatment at the hands of British colonial forces ranged from rape to beatings and water boarding.
In reaching this settlement, London said it reaffirms its highest respect for the memory and sacrifice of British and Cypriot service personnel and employees of the Crown who gave their lives, who lost family members or loved ones, or whose lives suffered permanent disruption as a result of the “Emergency”.
The statement “acknowledges the strongly held views of many Cypriots about the Emergency” and concludes that “it is a matter of regret for the UK Government that the transition of Cyprus from British administration to independence should have been preceded by five years of violence and loss of life, affecting all residents of the island”.
The statement stresses the importance of learning from the past, but also looking to the future and underlines the bilateral relationship that the UK shares with Cyprus today as “one of friendship and close partnership; spanning a broad network of security, personal, business, administrative, cultural and educational ties.”
The UK Government reaffirms its commitment to building a modern, forward-looking relationship between the UK and Cyprus, built on shared values of mutual respect and full equality.
The civil law claim was brought against the UK Government in July 2015.
