New protest called over Bangladeshi worker’s death in Cyprus

A protest will take place in Limassol at Cyprus on Saturday (April 27), concerning the death of Bangladeshi worker Anisur Rahman following a police raid earlier this month.

The protest will take place outside the Limassol CID, following a march against high rents taking place on the same day in Limassol.

This is the third protest over the death of Rahman, as a protest was held in Limassol on April 13, and another in Nicosia on April 20.

In a statement circulating on social media, signed by the ‘Assembly against the state murder’, it is noted that:

“On Saturday, after the march against high rents, we call on all the people who wish to gather outside the Limassol CID with the following demands:

A) Stop the torture and terrorising of the seven roommates of the murdered Anis and the wounded Fahad. They should be released immediately.

B) We demand total justice for the murder of 19-year-old Anisur Rahmad.”

Case background

Early on Wednesday, April 10, officers raided an apartment on the fifth floor of a building in Limassol, acting on a tip about undocumented migrants living there.

Two men, both foreign nationals, attempted to escape, jumping from the window.

The fall killed 19-year-old Anisur Rahman, a worker from Bangladesh, while the other man suffered severe injuries, leading to his hospitalisation.

Police said that two officers from the Aliens and Immigration unit entered the apartment after knocking on the door and obtaining the consent of the residents.

This account has been disputed in a statement given to in-cyprus and philenews by K.S., a person who was living in the apartment and was an eyewitness to the police raid, who noted “On Wednesday there were 15 people without uniforms, they broke the door in the morning and punched the person standing next to the door. Then they punched another person”.

K.S. also said that the flatmates were forced to sign voluntary return requests.

Anti-racist organisation KISA has also questioned the version of events offered by the police over the raid, referring to eyewitnesses stating that the police entered forcefully into the apartment without the occupants’ consent.

Source: In-Cyprus