1. Source of the legal provision[1]

Article 3 – Law n. 134 (I) (21 October 2011) – Law on the Combating of Certain Forms and Expressions of Racism and Xenophobia by means of Criminal Law [Ο Περί της Καταπολέμησης Ορισμένων Μορφών και Εκδηλώσεων Ρατσισμού και Ξενοφοβίας μέσω του Ποινικού Δικαίου Νόμος].   Available in the original language via: CyLaw; <https://www.cylaw.org/nomoi/enop/non-ind/2011_1_134/full.html>  

2. Legal provision in English

Offences and penalties

[…] (2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3), a person who intentionally and in a manner that disturbs public order or is threatening, abusive or insulting in any manner;   (a) publicly condones or denies or grossly trivialises the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as defined in Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, and directed against a group of persons or a member of a group of persons identified on the basis of race, colour, religion, descent, or national or ethnic origin, and such conduct is manifested in a manner likely to incite violence or hatred against such a group or a member of such a group; or   (b) publicly condones or denies or grossly understates the crimes set forth in Article 6 of the Statute of the International Military Court, the original English text of which is set out in Part I of the Table and the Greek translation in Part II of the Table, and is directed against a group of persons or a member of such a group identified on the basis of race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin, and such conduct is manifested in a manner likely to incite violence or hatred against such a group or a member of such a group,   is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years (5) or a fine not exceeding ten thousand euros (€10 000) or to both.   (3) The denial or gross understatement of the crimes referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) shall constitute a criminal offence under subsection (2) only if the crimes referred to have been recognised by an irrevocable decision of an international court or by a unanimous decision or unanimous resolution of the House of Representatives.   (4) Without prejudice to subsections (1) and (2), a reference to religion includes conduct which constitutes a pretext for directing acts against a group of persons or a member of such a group identified on the basis of race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin.  

3. Legal provision in the original language

Αδικήματα και ποινές

[…] (2) Τηρουμένων των διατάξεων του εδαφίου (3), πρόσωπο το οποίο εκ προθέσεως και κατά τρόπο που διαταράσσει τη δημόσια τάξη ή που έχει απειλητικό, υβριστικό ή προσβλητικό χαρακτήρα με οποιοδήποτε τρόπο-   (α) δημόσια επιδοκιμάζει ή αρνείται ή κατάφωρα υποβαθμίζει τα εγκλήματα γενοκτονίας, εγκλήματα κατά της ανθρωπότητας και εγκλήματα πολέμου, όπως αυτά ορίζονται στα άρθρα 6, 7 και 8 του Καταστατικού του Διεθνούς Ποινικού Δικαστηρίου, και στρέφεται κατά ομάδας προσώπων ή μέλους ομάδας προσώπων που προσδιορίζεται βάσει της φυλής, του χρώματος, της θρησκείας, των γενεαλογικών καταβολών ή της εθνικής ή εθνοτικής καταγωγής και η συμπεριφορά του αυτή εκδηλώνεται κατά τρόπο που είναι πιθανόν να υποκινήσει βία ή μίσος κατά μιας τέτοιας ομάδας ή μέλους της ή   (β) δημόσια επιδοκιμάζει ή αρνείται ή κατάφωρα υποβαθμίζει τα εγκλήματα τα οποία ορίζονται στο άρθρο 6 του Καταστατικού του Διεθνούς Στρατοδικείου, του οποίου άρθρου το κείμενο στο αγγλικό πρωτότυπο εκτίθεται στο Μέρος Ι του Πίνακα και η ελληνική μετάφραση στο Μέρος ΙΙ του Πίνακα, και στρέφεται κατά ομάδας προσώπων ή μέλους τέτοιας ομάδας που προσδιορίζεται βάσει της φυλής, του χρώματος, της θρησκείας, των γενεαλογικών καταβολών ή της εθνικής ή εθνοτικής καταγωγής και η συμπεριφορά του αυτή εκδηλώνεται κατά τρόπο που είναι πιθανόν να υποκινήσει βία ή μίσος κατά μιας τέτοιας ομάδας ή μέλους της,   είναι ένοχο αδικήματος και, σε περίπτωση καταδίκης, υπόκειται σε ποινή φυλάκισης που δεν υπερβαίνει τα πέντε χρόνια (5) ή σε χρηματική ποινή που δεν υπερβαίνει τις δέκα χιλιάδες Ευρώ (€10 000) ή και στις δύο αυτές ποινές.   (3) Η άρνηση ή κατάφωρη υποβάθμιση των εγκλημάτων που αναφέρονται στις παραγράφους (α) και (β) του εδαφίου (2) συνιστά ποινικό αδίκημα δυνάμει του εδαφίου (2) μόνο αν τα εγκλήματα στα οποία αναφέρεται έχουν αναγνωριστεί με αμετάκλητη απόφαση διεθνούς δικαστηρίου ή με ομόφωνη απόφαση ή με ομόφωνο ψήφισμα της Βουλής των Αντιπροσώπων.   (4) Άνευ επηρεασμού των εδαφίων (1) και (2), αναφορά στη θρησκεία καλύπτει και συμπεριφορά η οποία συνιστά πρόσχημα για να κατευθύνονται οι πράξεις κατά ομάδας προσώπων ή μέλους τέτοιας ομάδας που προσδιορίζεται βάσει φυλής, χρώματος, γενεαλογικών καταβολών, ή εθνικής ή εθνοτικής καταγωγής.  

4. Key points

• There is no specific legislation in Cyprus that criminalises denial of the Holocaust. However, Cyprus does penalise the public denial, promotion or gross trivialization of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in general, thereby seeking to transpose the EU Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA (hereafter ‘EU FD 2008’).
• This applies only if the crimes are committed intentionally and in a manner that disturbs public order or are threatening, abusive, or insulting in any way.
• Penalties for denialism may include imprisonment for up to five years, or a fine not exceeding €10,000.

 

5. Background

The provision originally dates from 2011,^[2] although revised versions were adopted in 2015,^[3] 2016,^[4] and 2017.^[5] In Cyprus, Holocaust remembrance and the fight against antisemitism is determined by general anti-discrimination laws and educational initiatives. Although there are no specific laws on Holocaust remembrance, the country’s actions have reflected a commitment to promoting remembrance and preventing discrimination, notably since the 2011 law and amendments referenced above – which references the crimes stated in the Statute of the International Military Tribunal.   At the same time, there exists Cypriot legislation that directly seeks to address issues of genocide denial, such as in the case of the Armenian genocide by the Ottomans. The criminalization of the denial of the 1915 Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire took effect in 2015 through a parliamentary resolution, a move seen as directly linked to the Turkish occupation of the Northern part of the island, which has not been internationally recognised.^[6] Likewise, Law 24 (I) 2001 “on the Establishment of 15 July 1974 as a Day of Memory and Tribute for Those who Fell or Fought in Defence of Democracy” is worth mentioning. This remembrance day recalls the resistance and the massacre of those who refused to take over the Presidential Palace during the coup d’état that deposed president Makarios III, which was then followed by the Turkish invasion.  

6. Application

To the best of our knowledge, so far, there have been no criminal convictions in Cyprus related to Holocaust denial on the basis of this law. There has been, however, a conviction for racist posts made online against a child based on the offence of the dissemination of racist and xenophobic material online.^[7]  

7. Controversies

Although we did not find controversial issues that relate directly to this legal provision, and despite legislative efforts on issues related to discrimination and racism, Cyprus faces a tense political climate in this context, given the large numbers of migrants arriving on the island and the conflict between the Turkish Northern and the Greek Southern parts of the island. At the same time, Cyprus also still has great difficulties in fully integrating its Roma community.^[8]

8. Further reading

• Erhürman , Articulations of Memory in Northern Cyprus: Between Turkishness, Europeanness and Cypriotness, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2012.
• Mannergren et alii, “Cyprus: Parallel peace(s) and competing nationalisms”, Peace and the Politics of Memory, Manchester University Press, 2024, pp. 33-64.

[1] The authors of the Compendium would like to thank Hélio Silva (University of Lisbon) for his guidance through Cypriot law. ^[2] Επίσημη Εφημερίδα της Δημοκρατίας, n. 4299: <https://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/gpo/gazette.nsf/All/338182762BAB7DF8C225872C003C96FC?OpenDocument>. ^[3] Law n. 45 (I) 2015. Επίσημη Εφημερίδα της Δημοκρατίας, n. 4503: <https://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/gpo/gazette.nsf/All/A65347E01F56F4FFC225872C004063B4?OpenDocument>. ^[4] Law n. 94 (I) 2016. Επίσημη Εφημερίδα της Δημοκρατίας, n. 4576: <https://www.cylaw.org/nomoi/arith/2016_1_094.pdf>. ^[5] Law n. 30 (I) 2017. Available here: <https://www.cylaw.org/nomoi/arith/2017_1_030.pdf>. ^[6] Reuters, 2 april 2015: <https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/cyprus-criminalizes-denial-of-1915-armenian-genocide-by-turks-idUSKBN0MT0YR>. ^[7] Financial Mirror, 10 january 2019: <https://www.financialmirror.com/2019/01/10/cyprus-first-conviction-for-posting-racist-comments-on-social-media>. ^[8] Cf. Cyprus Country Report: Non-discrimination, European Network of Legal Experts in Gender Equality and Non-discrimination, 2023. Available here: <https://www.migpolgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cyprus-country-report-non-discrimination-DSBB23005ENN.pdf>.