Fidias says apologised on the spot to missing relatives

Under fire MEP Fidias Panayiotou said on Tuesday he had apologised on the spot for comments he made that may have upset relatives of missing persons after an event at the presidential palace on July 20.

Panayiotou explained on social media that as he was leaving the presidential palace he was approached by women – daughters of a person missing since 1974 – who said he should take the issue to the European parliament.

Panayiotou said he informed them that his uncle was among those missing and that this issue should be raised in “the right way, not the way of the politicians for so many years with no results.

“They insisted and because I am not a politician, when someone says something I disagree with, I will say so. I could have said that I will take it into consideration and then do nothing,” he said.

Panayiotou said the discussion that followed was “intense because one of the women insisted and I said more than I should have.

“As soon as it was over, I apologised,” he said on social media.

He added that had the conversation been filmed, people would see it was reasonable.

Panayiotou called on the woman to join him “on a podcast to present their problems and solve the misunderstanding.

“I had apologised on the spot,” he added.

A group representing the missing persons had earlier this week called on Panayiotou to apologise, after they accused him of “mocking and disrespecting” them.