Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

The women rallying for British teenager

"We believe you", "we are on your side", "you are a victim of a flawed system".

These were just a few of many banners, placards and posters waved by a crowd of women's rights activists, who stood and chanted messages of solidarity for a British teenager in Paralimni, Cyprus.

The 19-year-old, who was found guilty of lying about being raped in Ayia Napa by a group of young Israelis, hid her face with a scarf and was visibly shaking as she stood for a moment in front of the group, before entering court.

By her side was her mother, along with a British documentary maker, who has accompanied the family at each of the court hearings.

There has been international criticism regarding the fairness of the trial, and the controversial case has united women's rights groups and activists from both Cyprus and Israel.

Noa Borstein, a journalist and activist from Israel, tells me that she travelled "with 60 women on two planes and two buses from Tel Aviv" to be here.

"There is something fishy here", she says. "This story is too familiar for any one of us. We hear it a lot and know what it's like to be seen to be 'unbelievable' with our stories."

I asked her about news coverage of the case in Israel - and the 12 Israeli youths who were released without charge.

"For me, when we watch the mainstream media, we hear a patriarchal narrative, not believing women.

"Israeli papers blame the girls. And there's a big society debate - even in my own family - you can see the men standing beside the boys, but the women think that there's more here than they say it is, it's not a lie."


Government 'not used to questions'

The criticism from some Cypriot protesters here is not just the alleged flaws in this case, but of the island's entire judicial system.

Among the activists is Zelia Gregoriou, an associate professor in gender studies at the university of Cyprus.

"People shouldn't trust the government. Governments should always be in question and the government in Cyprus isn't used to that.

"They are not used to being questioned because they adopt a very patriarchal, pastoral approach to politics - 'we know best, we do it for you, don't bother us, don't question us'.

"I think this is the moment for the country, we've come together to recover the meaning of citizenship."

Argentoula Ioannou is amongst the most vocal of protesters, shouting "I am with you" and "we believe you". She's part of the newly-formed Network Against Violence Against Women, that helped organise the protests.

She says: "The verdict is a result of the whole system of deficiencies and bad handling by police, who led in the conviction. They haven't protected, they haven't believed, and they let the Israelis leave the country without doing their job properly."

Police officials have denied claims that they acted improperly in this case, as well as claims made by the teenager's family that they "bullied" her into recanting her statement.

There were also supportive voices in the crowd for the police and judiciary.

Skevi Koukouma, a Cypriot MP for the nearby town of Famagusta, says she turned up to defend her country's legal system, which she said was facing "huge reputational damage, based on the perception of this case abroad".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
Thai Food Village Debuts at Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 Under Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee’s Lead
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
OPEC+ Unveils New Capacity-Based System to Anchor Future Oil Output Levels
Hong Kong Residents Mourn Victims as 1,500 People Relocated After Devastating Tower Fire
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
Netanyahu Secures U.S. Assurance That Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Will Remain Despite Saudi F-35 Deal
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
×