“Guided by memory, with freedom as our compass,” the motorcyclists of the Isaac – Solomos continue their journey through Greece and arrive at Nikos Psaras Street, at the Isaac Solomos monument.
In their minds, they identify with the route the motorcyclists took back then, on August 11, 1996. “Thirty years ago

, before I was even born, I was deprived of the most precious gift a child can have: his father’s embrace; and from him they took not only the joy of being a father but also the greatest gift of all—life.”
_{Anastasia Isaac – Daughter of Tassos Isaac}

Tassos Isaac’s daughter says she wouldn’t change the course of events for anything, as she is proud that her father stepped forward to help a fellow human being. Tassos Isaac, at the age of 24, was cowardly murdered in public view and during a live broadcast by members of the far-right “Gray Wolves” and members of the so-called police force of the pseudo-state

.”The images from those days remain etched in our collective memory. Tassos breathing his last under the murderous blows of a mob that acted right before the eyes of the international community. A few days later, Solomos climbed the occupation’s flagpole and was shot down in front of the barbed wire fence.”
_{George Nikoletos – Mayor of Paralimni – Deryneia}

It was the day of Tassos Isaac’s funeral, on August 14, when the motorcyclists returned to lay wreaths at the site. Solomos broke away from the blue-helmeted soldiers, climbed the flagpole to lower the Turkish flag, and was shot down

.” ““My uncle, 30 years later we stand here because your sacrifice was not in vain. We stand here and we do not forget, because a people that forgets risks becoming accustomed to injustice.”
_{Andreas Frixou – Brother of Solomos Solomos}

To this day, justice has not been served, and the execution of arrest warrants for those wanted in connection with the murders of the two heroes remains pending

.”The Republic of Cyprus has issued 13 national and five international arrest warrants, and despite the refusal of the occupying regime—and, of course, Turkey—to execute these warrants, I want to promise you tonight that we, as the Republic of Cyprus, will intensify our efforts to have these warrants executed.”
_{Nikos Christodoulides – President of the Republic}

Following a wreath-laying ceremony, the motorcyclists spent the night at the occupation roadblock in Deryneia.

Today, the annual memorial service for the heroic martyrs was held at the Church of Saint Demetrius in Paralimni.

““It is the Republic of Cyprus’s self-evident duty to press for criminal proceedings against those involved in the criminal acts of August 1996.”
_{Nicholas Ioannides – Deputy Minister of Migration}

The motorcyclists’ journey, as they state, will continue until they reach their final destination.

“We
will continue in the coming days and months, this year and next, until justice is served, until we bring Tassos’s motorcycle to Kyrenia, until we take down the very last flag of the Turkish invasion, heeding Solomos’s call.”
_{Kyriakos Yagou – On behalf of the Isaac-Solomos Memorial Initiative}

Watch Kleio Vourkou’s report: