Filenews 28 May 2025 - by Michalis Hatzivasilis
The Ministry of Justice has made changes to the original text that imposes the drug and breathalyzer test on fans before entering the sports venues, resulting in its submission to the Plenary Session of the Parliament for a vote or rejection.
The crucial bill that is estimated to impose order on fan violence, was discussed today Wednesday in the Legal Committee of the Parliament in the presence of the Minister of Justice Marios Hartsiotis and it was decided to resubmit the final text, to hold another session of the Committee and then to send it to the Plenary.
As the representative of the Ministry of Justice, Nikos Chrysostomou, informed the Committee, after the initial meeting, some changes were made to the original text. One change concerned the stigmatization of persons who undergo drug and breathalyzer tests. We have changed the provision and secured the Commissioner's consent so that someone will be subjected to a breathalyzer and narcotics test in an enclosed space instead of an open one, as was the original regulation, so that they are not exposed to public view.
Another change concerns the security officer and the supervisor, who can currently prohibit the entry or stay in the stadium of people who they themselves judge should not be there. These persons would not be affected if they did their job in good faith. We saw that this provision concerned subjective criteria and we wanted to introduce objective criteria, so that there is a reason why someone is prohibited from entering or staying in the stadium.
At this point, the chairman of the Committee, Nikos Tornaritis, said that "we were ready to send the bill to the Plenary, now you are coming with changes and your statement, Mr. Minister, that it is ready, is not valid, nothing more untrue".
The Commissioner for Personal Data Protection Irene Loizidou Nicolaides told the Commission that she had expressed reservations about the alcohol and drug control process outside the stadium, an amendment was made and we agree.
On behalf of the Cyprus Bar Association, Ilias Stefanou expressed his reservations regarding the provision on the rights of minors, stressing that they should be invoked when it comes to the arrests of children and asked that it should be made more urgent for cases of violence in the stadiums to be heard immediately.
The president of PASP Spyros Neophytidis pointed out that there are no provisions for specifications with the cameras. If we are going to make legislation and the Police are blind in the stadiums, then we are wasting our time.
The president of the Cyprus Police Association, Lefteris Kyriakou, said that the duties of police officers will be increased, so more members will be needed, there is no provision for Fans' Associations and called for the violation to be penalized if matches are allowed without the existence of certificates of suitability for the stadium.
The president of the police guild Equality, Nikos Loizidis, called for a tripling of the penalties and said that there will now be a triple check, which is why more funds will be needed.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou said in his intervention that the new bill will go to the Plenary without the consent of some who will be called upon to implement the law, which is why we will not vote for a law that will not be implemented.
After the changes to the bill, the chairman of the Committee said that all those involved will be called to a session again before the bill goes to the Plenary.
