TOMB RAIDERS have stolen the remains of former Cyprus president Tassos Papadopoulos which were interred at a village cemetery on the outskirts of the capital.
A guard found the grave empty yesterday morning as preparations were being made for ceremonies marking the first anniversary of his death from cancer. Since such observances are common to Christians and Muslims in Cyprus, Greece and the Middle East, the grave robbers timed the theft to disrupt the ritual. However, his family plans to go ahead with today’s memorial service in spite of the theft of the body.
Greek and Turkish Cypriots of all political persuasions expressed shock over the desecration of the grave. Politicians from across the spectrum condemned the theft. President Demetris Christofias, who defeated Mr Papadopoulos in the 2008 election, stated: “It was with grief that I received the news of the sacrilege. This is an unacceptable, unholy, unethical and condemnable act that damages our tradition, our culture and our respect toward the dead.”
A police spokesman told The Irish Timesthat "investigations of certain persons" are under way, while local media reported that three Greek Cypriot national guardsmen are being questioned and others could be detained.
The body was taken either late on Thursday night or early yesterday morning. The thieves were determined and well prepared to carry out their plan. They braved a downpour and shifted a 250kg marble slab before lifting the coffin from the grave. They also used quicklime to deface the slab.
Mr Papadopoulos, who served as president from 2003-2008, died a year ago today at the age of 74. He took office during the final phase of UN-brokered negotiations to reunite the island, divided since 1974 when Greece engineered a coup against the elected government and Turkey invaded and occupied the north.
In April 2004 he led Greek Cypriot rejection of the final version of the UN plan, which he said con- firmed de facto partition and legitimised the Turkish presence. He presided over the country’s EU entry in May 2004 and conversion to the euro in January 2008 when he relied on Irish advice.
He took part in the island’s freedom struggle, helped draft documents that gave Cyprus its independence in 1960 and, at 26, was the youngest minister in the first Cypriot government.