Filenews 21 January 2026 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
The bill that amends the legislation that was passed last year and concerns the regulation of gatherings and parades is being brought to the Plenary Session of the Parliament.
With the new changes made after the reactions both inside and outside Cyprus, it seems that the bill will be passed with the disagreements of AKEL, which has submitted a proposal for a law for the complete abolition of the law on gatherings.
As the representative of the Ministry of Justice, Phaedra Grigoriou, clarified, a license is no longer needed to organize an event, nor will the organizer have sanctions or responsibility.
According to MP Irini Charalambidou, who contributed to achieving changes in the legislation in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, regarding the hood, anyone can demonstrate with a hood, but if he is holding a pocket knife, bat or other offensive instrument, the Police have the right to ask him to remove the hood to verify his identity.
A significant difference from the existing legislation is that with the changes that are coming, individual acts of violence by a group of persons can be dealt with by removing the rioters, while under the current legislation the Chief of Police had the right to disperse the gathering.
The last resort, according to the new regulations, is the dissolution of a rally or parade. The use of similar violence is provided for the dispersal of a parade or rally. It is also provided that the Police keep a register for the parades. This was considered as a file by AKEL, while Ms. Charalambidou stated that this provision was requested by the OSCE so that a register would be kept simply for the gatherings that took place.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou in his statement stated that "we are satisfied that all the competent bodies agreed and the changes we were shouting for were made. Obviously, the "cop" from the OSCE had to come, because there is an insistence on appointing an organizer for the spontaneous event."
A quarrel took place between AKEL MPs and the others regarding the spontaneous events and whether an organizer should be appointed or not. As explained by the representative of the Ministry of Justice, the organizer exists without repercussions, and can send a letter to the Police or the local authority, seven days in advance. The information indicates the time and place and purpose. It is clarified that if the Police are not informed, this will not have any impact on the organizer. As it was also clarified, spontaneous gathering is allowed and does not need to appoint an organizer.
Finally, it was clarified that it is forbidden to protest inside public buildings but not outside them.
