The assassination of Andy Hadjicostis

For Immediate Release: January 14, 2010

At the request of the Diaspora Cypriot community, The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) releases the following article by Fanoulla Argyrou on the assassination of Andy Hajicostis.The solemn truth is articulated by Fanoulla Argyrou. Once again the Traditional Enemies of the Truth are targeting our leaders (alive and dead), activists and intellectuals in their attempt to kill every voice of resistance to the surrender of Cyprus.

Please distribute the following articles in English and the Greek published in the January 14th 2010 edition of Simerini.

The assassination of Andy Hadjicostis

Andy Hadjicostis age 41, the younger son (of two) of Costis Hadjicosti of DIAS publishing was assassinated on 11 January 2010 by two masked men in the yard of his own home. The contract killers shot him at close range and finished him off with two bullets.

His murder shocked the whole nation in Cyprus and abroad. It fell like an avalanche on the Greek Cypriots and the Greek nation at large.

I knew Andy since he was 20 years old, a young student in Southampton university. He was an exceptionally well behaved young man, considerate, full of respect and immaculate manners, a specimen of character that makes every parent proud. His father Costis Hadjicostis is from Paphos and his mother Toula Hadjicostis from occupied Morphou.

I started my association with Simerini newspaper in 1988 and I met Andy soon after. I watched him through the years of his university life in England to graduate and start work first in Germany (where he had relatives from his mother’s side) and then for some time in the European Union. Finally he agreed to his father’s wishes to return to Cyprus and take over the Executive position of DIAS Publishing Group that includes Simerini newspaper, Radio Proto, Sigma TV, Periodico magazine. And to expand to other businesses, successfully but always keeping a low profile holding on to his principles of a good man. A rare commodity these days…

Andy married his first wife some years ago. But unfortunately the marriage ended up in divorce which left him devastated for a long time. Gradually he managed to overcome his disappointment and carried on his life. He met his wife Efi and eventually married her only a few months ago. Efi, also a divorcee had two young daughters from her previous marriage. Andy took custody of the kids and loved them as his own. But their happiness was not allowed to last…

DIAS

DIAS publishing is an organisation that has held high the flag of resistance against the notorious Annan Plan and contributed proudly to its rejection by the people on 24 April 2004. The consortium with its newspaper, Radio and TV gave all its strength in enlightening the people on the parameters and definition of the Annan monstrosity and was proud for the results.

This result was not liked by the supporters of the Annan Plan, primarily the Turks and the British and Sir David Hannay did not miss the opportunity to blame certain journalists as those responsible for the big NO against the Annan Plan. He clearly meant Dias group (besides Antenna TV which also played a significant role in fighting against the Annan Plan) and all of us who campaigned from it against the Annan Plan. He actually vowed to revenge the Greek Cypriots when he stated “you have rejected it but we will keep on bringing it back until you accept”.

American Embassy and KYP

Andy’s assassination came only hours after the inauguration of the so called intensive talks between President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader M. Ali Talat. His assassination took place almost on the doorstep of the American Embassy in Nicosia (He lived in a very near proximity). It was unprecedented for such a killing to take place “in front of the eyes” of the American Embassy and KYP offices (Cyprus Intelligence Service) which are also housed in the same immediate area.

The freedom with which the killers executed their crime, at a time people are still out and about, (early evening) in such a populated area in Nicosia with so many other Embassies and surveillance cameras, is indeed unprecedented.

His assassination, and it was an assassination, a contract killing, takes Cyprus years back, to times none of us wants to remember. It takes us back to December 1963 and 1964 when the Turks and TMT, assisted by the British attacked us in order to impose the dissolution of the Republic of Cyprus and create two separate states… Frightening years.

It reminds us of the assassination of Theophilos Georgiades…Of Polycarpos Yiorkatzis before him and not very long ago of Isaac and Solomou in Paralimni and so many others with their killers still at large…

The American Embassy as we all know is equipped with the most modern and sophisticated technology in intelligence and surveillance. For the killers to ignore this factor and relentlessly carry on with the execution of their mission creates a great number of crucial questions as to the identity of these assassins.

It has been said that the Police inquiries are investigating also economic criteria for the murder. However, economic criteria can easily connect or lead to political behind the scenes criteria and reasons. As we all know it is the business world that keeps or controls political matters…

At the moment of writing this article it has been announced that the Cypriot Police have arrested three persons to assist them with their inquiries into Andy’s murder.

Andy’s murder was the last and most horrid of a series of recent acts of violence in Cyprus .The corpse of late President Tassos Papadopoulos was stolen and his grave desecrated and to this moment it has not been found, Greek flags had been removed from the burial ground of another late President Spyros Kyprianou and his grave also desecrated, graffiti on walls in Nicosia including the presidential Palace with the words in Turkish “Cyprus is Turkish” and many other incidents…

Even if the murder is not related to political reasons i.e. to yield the fighting spirit of DIAS publishing which stands as a protective rock against the Turkish solutions based on Bizonal Bicommunal Federation, people cannot comprehend the sequence of events leading to Andy’s murder. Therefore people are indignant, full of anger and frustration and circumstantial or not they cannot attribute the murder to anything else, but for political reasons.


We will never forget young Andy. I will never forget the young student in London

with the endless charismatic smile…

May he rest in Peace.

Fanoulla Argyrou

Researcher/Journalist

London

14.1.2010