Fact-Check:Cyprus unlikely to join the Schengen Area in 2026
The Cyprus Investigative Reporting Network (CIReN) examined the Republic of Cyprus’ declared plan to join the Schengen Area in 2026.
Is the process simply a matter of meeting technical goals, or does Cyprus’ “special situation” carry political dimensions that remain unaddressed?
CIReN conducted a fact-check and issued its verdict. Read our fact-check here
Fact-Check: Environmental Protection – Kotsiatis and Vati
CIReN delves into one of the most pressing issues concerning environmental protection and public health.It fact-checks the government narrative around the recent European Commission’s decision to refer Cyprus to the Court of Justice of the EU over the improper closure and waste management at the Vati and Kotsiatis illegal landfills.
Cyprus was ordered to shut down both sites in 2013 and although it stopped sending waste there in 2017, neither Vati or Kotsiatis have been properly sealed off. To date, rubbish is still there leaking toxic substances and rotting waste is contaminating the surrounding area.
CIReN investigates and scrutinizes the position of the Cypriot government and issues its verdict. Read our fact-check here
Fact-Check: Did Zelensky buy a casino in north Cyprus?
On June 4, 2024 CIReN fact-checked media reports alleging that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bought a multimillion-dollar hotel and casino in the northern part of Cyprus.
The report first appeared on a Turkish opposition news portal Oda TV. Two days later, user TGueul then published a video on YouTube supposedly referring to the hotel and casino’s website to confirm the allegation.
We found that the referenced website was fake, set up just days before the hotel and casino purchase allegations were made.
Here is a thread with the findings of our fact-check, which was referenced by Newsweek and Snopes:
Fact-Check: How many golden passports has Republic of Cyprus revoked?
On May 30, 2024, CIReN fact-checked a story by Greek-Cypriot daily Phileleftheros claiming the government is revoking golden passports from 6 investors and 18 dependents. A story in their English edition put the numbers at 68 investors and 165 dependents.
CIReN clarified that the latter numbers were the same statistics reported in 2023 by OCCRP. And if the new revocations reported by Phileleftheros are accurate, they would be the first since at least November 2023, as confirmed to CIReN by the Interior Ministry.
These would bring the total number of golden passport revocations to 74 investors, of a total of 3,517 investor passports granted.
Here is a thread with the findings of our fact-check: