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Report: Cypriot Teens Form Neo-Nazi Group
Jews in Larnaca and throughout Cyprus are furious after reports indicate a group of 12th graders have organized themselves into a neo-Nazi cell. The teens have documented themselves drawing swastikas on school grounds, giving Nazi salutes, and vandalizing Jewish property.
A wave of outrage has swept Cyprus after a group of high school students in the coastal city of Larnaca were exposed as operating a neo-Nazi cell, complete with Nazi salutes, swastika graffiti, and the vandalism of a sign connected to the local Jewish community.
The incident centers on 12th-grade students at Vergina High School, who documented themselves performing Nazi salutes on school grounds and sharing extremist imagery across social media. The students created a dedicated Instagram account where they posted photos and videos of their activities, including drawings of swastikas on school property and other locations.
One of the most disturbing incidents involved a roadside sign placed near the school to mark a tree-planting initiative by Cyprus’s Jewish community. The sign initially referenced an event connected to the release of Israeli hostages. The students defaced the sign, erasing the word “children” and adding a Nazi symbol before photographing themselves with it and posting the images online.
Local media outlet Philenews reported that the group had been organizing for some time and may have attempted to recruit other students. Sources said the teenagers were actively spreading Nazi ideology through multiple social media accounts while continuing to mark school property with extremist symbols.
Parents’ organizations in the Larnaca district confirmed receiving complaints even before the images went viral. Kostas Kostas, head of the district’s organized parents association, said the revelations were “unthinkable,” stressing that Nazi symbolism is inseparable from the murder of millions. “There is no place for ideologies of hatred in schools,” he said, calling on the Education Ministry to intervene decisively.
The Cypriot Education Ministry said it was alerted to the incident earlier this week and has launched an investigation. Senior education officials described the posts as reckless but confirmed that the school administration knows the identities of those involved and is preparing disciplinary action. Ministry representatives are expected to visit the school to assess whether the incident reflects a broader pattern.
In parallel, Cyprus’s cybercrime unit has opened an investigation to trace the social media accounts involved. Authorities say identification is complicated by the fact that some students obscured their faces in the images. Under Cypriot law, the public promotion of racist ideology or incitement to violence may constitute a criminal offense.
Officials said the goal is both accountability and prevention, emphasizing that extremist behavior will not be tolerated in Cyprus’s schools.