AKEL bids farewell to Donis Christofinis, veteran leader of the Party

 

3 February 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia 

AKEL sadly announces the passing away of veteran militant of AKEL and the Left, Donis Christofinis.

Donis Christofinis, born in Amiantos in 1928, worked as a teacher and studied at the Morphou Teachers’ College and the Moscow Institute of Social Sciences. He joined the student and youth movement as a member of the Secretariat of the International Union of Students (IUS) and then served for ten years as General Secretary of EDON Youth Organisation. He became a member of AKEL in 1946 and served for decades as a member of the Party’s senior leadership, as a member of the Central Committee, the Political Bureau, and the Central Secretariat of AKEL, as well as Chairman of the Party’s Central Control Committee.

However, Donis Christofinis was particularly identified with AKEL’s international and internationalist activities, having been the Head of the International Relations Department of AKEL for 20 years. From this position, Donis Christofides became involved in the activities and struggles of communist and left-wing parties, progressive and national liberation movements, and met with world figures such as Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Allende, Arafat, Mandela, Pasionaria, and others. He was also at the forefront of the Cypriot and international peace movement, serving as General Secretary of the Cyprus Peace Council, while playing a leading role in the Solidarity Committee. the World Peace Council, the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization (AAPSO). Donis Christofinis played a decisive role in organizing international support for the Cypriot people, as expressed through the International Committee of Solidarity with Cyprus.

Throughout his selfless career within the ranks of AKEL and our People’s Movement, Donis Christofides distinguished himself for his profound belief in Marxism-Leninism and socialism, the values of internationalism and peace, while defending the Party and its principles throughout all the trials of its history. He was recognised, through his deep culture and dialectical thinking, his modesty and gentle character, as a respected figure of the Cypriot Left, universally esteemed. He leaves us having lived a full life, full of struggles, full of service to the Left and the people of Cyprus.

AKEL expresses its sincere condolences to his family. We bid farewell to our comrade Donis Christofides with unreserved gratitude and a promise to continue the struggle for the ideas, values, and visions to which he dedicated his life.

03.02.2026