Brussells, December 21, 2010
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''On behalf of the EPP, I condemn this unprecedented act by the ‘Turkish Cypriot police’, which violates basic human rights and religious freedoms”, Martens noted, calling, at the same time, upon all those responsible “to ensure that this is not repeated”.
“The EPP will closely monitor the situation,” he added.
On Christmas Day, the occupying forces entered the church of the Rizokarpaso village, one of a handful of Greek Orthodox churches allowed to operate in the northern occupied part of Cyprus and disrupted the Christmas mass.
The occupying forces ordered the evacuation of the church and demanded that the priest would strip of his clerical clothing. The church was then sealed-off.
