Filenews 2 October 2025 - by Ernest Moussas
An important development emerges in the series with the Public Gatherings and Parades Law, with three MPs signing a proposal for a law to abolish it. It is recalled that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights had referred to some provisions, which it considers to be inconsistent with the current provisions in the European Union. The position on the part of the OSCE emerged after an appeal by AKEL MP, Irini Charalambidou.
The bill is signed by three AKEL MPs. These are Aristos Damianou, Giorgos Koukoumas and Andreas Pasiourtidis. In the explanatory memorandum of the proposal, it is explicitly stated that its purpose is to abolish the Law on Public Gatherings and Parades. It is noted that this law introduces provisions into the Cypriot legal order, which substantially restrict fundamental rights of citizens, such as that of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
It is also added that the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, studying the legal framework as it was formulated by the competent ministry and passed into law, concluded in a recent opinion that it does not comply with international standards. "In particular, it was found that the legal framework in question contains broad provisions that allow arbitrary restrictions on the rights of citizens, while at the same time imposing excessive and disproportionate obligations on the organizers of a gathering, who may be held responsible for the actions of third parties", point out Damianou, Pasiourtidis and Koukoumas.
They also state that "the opinion highlights the security of the reasons for imposing restrictions and the dissolution of gatherings, the absence of accountability mechanisms for the actions of the Cyprus Police and the limited possibilities for judicial redress, as well as the disproportionate penalties provided for in the provisions of this legislation". Concluding, the three MPs note that "all of the above have the effect of discouraging citizens from exercising their fundamental demands, which is a direct blow to the rule of law and democracy."
The position of the Ministry of Justice
Following the OSCE's intervention on the issue, the Ministry of Justice issued a statement announcing that it has taken note of the opinion and clarified that the majority of the recommendations included in the opinion have already been incorporated either into this legislation or into the domestic legal order, through the Constitution, laws and regulations.
Regarding the OSCE's remark about "excessively broad definitions", the Ministry pointed out that these definitions are found in the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. In relation to the report that the organizers bear excessive obligations, with the risk of being held responsible for the actions of third parties, the Ministry emphasizes that the law does not provide for any sanction against them.
Regarding the absence of the possibility of appeal, the Ministry argued that Article 146 of the Constitution guarantees the right to appeal to the Administrative Court. For the purpose of pointing out the penalties provided, it is underlined that they relate exclusively to acts of violence, which in any case constitute an offense under ordinary criminal law.
Finally, the Ministry stated that for some individual issues raised in the opinion there is an intention to study them thoroughly.
