Filenews 4 March 2022 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
An investigation has been launched by the Police's Cybercrime Office for social media posts to determine whether Russians residing in Cyprus are being threatened by Ukrainian extremists.
According to the Russian Embassy and other sources of Russian interests in Cyprus, Russians residing here have been in recent days, on the occasion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, recipients of threats and insulting comments. The embassy, while not saying where the threats come from, calls on its citizens not to engage in provocations. According to a post on the website of the Russian embassy in Cyprus, Russian citizens in Cyprus said they are being threatened and insulted, while some are demanding to leave Cyprus. "We ask all Russians not to get involved in provocations, but to report them immediately to the Police and the Russian Embassy. We must not allow a witch hunt," the statement underlines.
Regarding the matter, "F" contacted yesterday the spokesman of the Police, Christos Andreou, who said that so far no complaint has been submitted to the Police, but said that a specific post is being investigated by the special office of the Police.
"F" contacted Cypriots linked to Russians in Cyprus where it was reported that the head of the BPH, Kyriakos Kouros, has been informed about the threatening posts on the internet. Also, affected visited the ICF Limassol in order to report the threats they receive, but were asked to make a written complaint, which they are studying under the current circumstances.
However, the Police, after these reports of the Embassy of the Russian Republic and the oral briefing of the ICF, have increased their patrols on Russian interests in Cyprus and at the same time closely monitor the internet for any posts referring to offences. Measures are also taken in embassies and other places, but there is nothing suspicious.
