10 July 2025 - The right to demonstrate is not a privilege, it is a foundation of Democracy
Volt, in view of the vote next Thursday in the Plenary of the House of Representatives, underlines once again its categorical opposition to the bill for the regulation of public gatherings, due to the authoritarian provisions that violate the Constitution and the international commitments of the Republic of Cyprus.
As Volt MP Alexandra Attalidou emphasises, “The bill violates fundamental principles of international law, the European Convention on Human Rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, but also the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus itself. The right to peaceful assembly is not negotiable, it is a constituent element of every democratic society. For this reason, we have sent the bill, along with our observations, as well as the objections of organised civil society groups, to the European Commission, requesting that its compatibility with the European acquis be examined.”
Unfortunately, the bill that the MPs have before them for voting contains a series of serious clauses that put rights at risk, such as:
The criminalisation of physical presence at a gathering with a covered face, even without committing a criminal act.
The unclear and excessive power of the Police to disperse gatherings based on vague concepts such as “public morals”.
The absence of explicit legal protection for spontaneous peaceful demonstrations.
The transformation of the “notification” into a de facto licensing with strict obligations for the organisers.
The lack of an independent and direct mechanism for appeal against arbitrary restrictions.
The attribution of legal and criminal liability to the person requesting permission to hold a demonstration regardless of his actual personal responsibility.
We point out that the passage of the said bill, without a substantive review and public consultation, will deal a grave blow to the rule of law and will open dangerous paths towards institutional arbitrariness. We recall that there is already case law at the European level condemning the prohibition or restriction of demonstrations. We recall that the EU has called on the Member States to protect and safeguard the inalienable right of citizens to express their opinions without restriction.
Finally, we call on the Parliament to reject it and demand from the executive branch to review it in order to ensure the full compatibility of the law with the international obligations of the Republic of Cyprus.