Excursion to the buffer zone - Law students research in Cyprus

After an online module in October with four interactive sessions on central concepts of international law, the Viadrina group travelled to Cyprus in the first week of November. Together with other students from Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania) and the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Poland) as well as lecturers from the University of Macerata (Italy) and other international partners, they experienced an international exchange on the legal background and daily impacts over a disputed territory. The Winter School was organised as part of the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA).

"⁠I was especially impressed by the mix of theory and practice in this project," says student Karyna Karabetska looking back. She liked the combination of lectures and excursions, discussions with experts and direct observations in the divided capital Nicosia and the ghost district of Famagusta. "The most memorable moment for me was when we crossed the borders in the capital of Cyprus - Nicosia. It was incredibly interesting to see in real life how a divided city functions and how the border regime actually works on the ground, not just in theory," says Karyna Karabetska.

The five-day programme in Cyprus included historical and legal introductions, field observations in the UN buffer zone, a workshop on property and cultural heritage issues in Famagusta and a simulated hearing - a moot court - at the European Court of Human Rights. Ines Frikech Laraki, academic assistant at the Viadrina Professorship for Public Law, International and European Law, led a lecture and workshop on "Human Rights Jurisprudence in Conflict Zones" during the Winter School. She analysed judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on Cyprus with the students and discussed the role of extraterritorial state responsibility. The lecturer was also impressed by her experiences in Cyprus: "A particular highlight for me was the visit to the abandoned Nicosia airport, which is now administered by the local UN mission, with an escort by British blue helmets. The place is not open to the public and is therefore completely frozen in time. It was an unforgettable experience."

The interplay between theory and practice allowed the students to develop a deeper understanding of the special situation in Cyprus. "I gained a clearer understanding of how delicate and complex the relationship between legal norms and political realities truly is," says Karyna Karabetska. " I also saw in a very concrete way that legal remedies for people in such areas are often quite limited which makes the role of international courts and monitoring committees important."

Translated by DeepL and edited