Dialogos

Paralympic Committee to Send Letter to European Parliament Regarding MEP's Offensive Remarks

Published January 26, 2026, 13:02
Paralympic Committee to Send Letter to European Parliament Regarding MEP's Offensive Remarks

The Cypriot Paralympic Committee will send an informative letter to the European Parliament regarding the unacceptable reference to “pellous” by MEP Pheidi Panayiotou when speaking about people with intellectual disabilities. The President of the Committee, Andreas Georgiou, expressed hope for an immediate response from the relevant European authorities. The Committee has requested a public apology from Mr. Panayiotou, especially to the athletes and their families, which he has not yet provided. Furthermore, his behavior during a podcast was criticized, as he appeared to show a lack of respect to his guest, who wished to promote Paralympic sports. The Organization of the Blind also condemned his behavior.