Thirty years after the deaths of Tasos Isaac and Solomos Solomou, a group of Cypriot motorcyclists has set out on a ten-day journey across Greece to honor their memory and reaffirm a message of remembrance, unity, and justice.
The mission, organized by the Isaac–Solomou Memorial Initiative, departed today from the port of Limassol. Sixty participants riding 40 motorcycles boarded the passenger ferry to Piraeus before beginning a route through locations chosen for their symbolic connection to places in occupied Cyprus.
The itinerary includes Ano Kyrenia in Achaia, Karavas on Kythera, Salamina, Rhodes, and the eastern Aegean island of Kastellorizo. Though these Greek communities are free today, they share names with towns in Cyprus that remain under Turkish occupation, giving each stop special significance for the participants.
The journey commemorates the events of August 1996, when a large international motorcycle protest against the division of Cyprus ended in tragedy. Tasos Isaac was killed near the buffer zone, and days later, Solomos Solomou was fatally shot while protesting at the same location. Their deaths became enduring symbols for many Greek Cypriots.
Memorial ceremonies will be held throughout the route, while several municipalities are expected to dedicate streets in honor of Isaac and Solomou. Organizers say local communities across Greece have prepared heartfelt welcomes for the riders.
One of the most meaningful stops will be Kastellorizo, Greece’s easternmost inhabited island, which organizers describe as a powerful symbol of resilience and continuity in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In Athens, the delegation will participate in a commemorative event at the House of Cyprus and is scheduled to meet with President Konstantinos Tasoulas. Joining the ride once again are members of the Isaac family, including Tasos Isaac’s mother and daughter, Anastasia, while Solomos Solomou’s father has offered his blessing for the journey.
Following their return to Cyprus, participants intend to present their longstanding appeal for justice to the Presidential Palace, renewing calls for continued efforts regarding those wanted in connection with the 1996 killings.
“This is our third major memorial ride,” said initiative spokesperson Kyriakos Yiangou. “Every journey is deeply emotional. We travel not only to honor the memory of Tasos Isaac and Solomos Solomou but also to keep alive the values they came to represent—freedom, dignity, and justice.”
As the motorcycles leave Limassol and trace a route across the Aegean, they carry more than flags and memories. They carry the conviction that remembrance is not simply about looking back—it is about ensuring that history, and the people who shaped it, are never forgotten.
Original reporting by Philenews. Featured image: Philenews.
