Prisoners of the 1974 war are faced with a slew of injustices, ranging from getting an €8 stipend every month, while others who receive a government subsidy may not have been prisoners of war at all, the House refugees committee heard on Tuesday.
Chairman of the committee and Akel MP Nicos Kettiros said they had decided on a number of steps to tackle the issue, particularly after it was discovered that there are multiple registers of those affected.
These lists are linked to social insurance benefits and cause many of the issues, he said.
“There are people who fought, that left their pieces behind on Pentadaktylos and get a monthly stipend of €5 or €8, because their pension is higher than that of others,” Kettiros said.
Additionally, people who left Cyprus in 1974 and do not get a pension cannot receive a stipend. The same applies to individuals who could not work after 1974 due to psychological or other issues, he added.
He said the committee would be writing to the government about this.
At the same time, Kettiros conceded there have been reports of individuals getting an allowance for being a war prisoner when they in fact were not.
The list compiled by the defence ministry is not built entirely on evidence but also witness testimony, as much of the material from the army units in Kyrenia, Famagusta or Nicosia were lost in the war.
“There have been reports that those based on witness testimony are not objective,” the MP said.
According to the MP, the personal data commission will now start the process to compile all the lists of war prisoners into one. This includes lists of the interior ministry, the defence ministry, Cyprus Red Cross and the international Red Cross, as well as a list drawn up by the association of 1974 war prisoners.
