Criticism is respected, censorship and persecution are unconceivable
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 17th September 2020, Nicosia
Everyone has the right to judge the works of the Art teacher Yiorgos Gavril with regards the content of their messages and for their aesthetic and artistic value.
However, what is inconceivable in a democratic society is the demand by state bodies/institutions and political forces for the prosecution, dismissal and silencing of any artist for his/her work, which, in this case, was created outside the professional and educational ground. It is inconceivable that the Ministry of Education is carrying out a disciplinary investigation against the teacher today.
For sure, the glaring hypocrisy of ruling DISY party, which from time to time puts on a liberal disguise, cannot go unnoticed. In 2015, the year of the bloody attack carried out by fundamentalists against the French newspaper “Charlie Hebdo” which published cartoons of Mohammed, the President of DISY stated “I, Averof Neophytou, je suis Charlie, for Cyprus and France, the whole world. DISY and censorship cannot coexist”. Today, however, they are demanding investigations and seeking prosecutions. On every crucial issue, the government and DISY are aligning themselves with the most conservative and reactionary circles in society.
