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During yesterday's first day of the session of the Committee on Legal and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), hosted by the House of Representatives in Larnaca, the progress achieved by Cyprus in the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was discussed.
As the main speaker on the topic, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Ms Anna Koukkidou Prokopiou said that the Convention is a permanent reference point in the work carried out by the Ministry under the third pillar concerning the protection of human rights. Ms Koukkidou Prokopiou pointed out that in the light of the regression of democracy in some Member States and the ongoing war in Ukraine, the commitment to the ECHR becomes even more imperative and noted the continuous and productive cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus with the Council of Europe.
Dr Kostas Paraskeva, Associate Professor of Public Law and Human Rights at the University of Cyprus, referred to the main developments in the Cypriot legal order in relation to the ECHR, focusing on the right to a fair trial as a principle of the rule of law and in particular on the duration of judicial proceedings and the impartiality of judges, as derived from relevant articles of the ECHR.
Moreover, in the context of a hearing on the enforcement of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the Rapporteur on behalf of the Convention, Mr Kostis Efstathiou, referred to his relevant report, which was adopted by the Plenary Assembly in April 2023. The Cypriot MEP pointed out that transnational cases are among the most serious unresolved cases before the Court, mainly due to the complexity of political and legal issues raised. He noted, in this regard, the crucial role that national parliaments and the CSCE can play towards a faster and more effective implementation of ECtHR judgments.
Violations resulting from the Turkish invasion and continued occupation concerning the humanitarian issue of the missing persons and the living conditions of those trapped in the areas not under the control of the Republic of Cyprus, which are included in the Fourth Inter-State Application Cyprus v. Turkey, were then presented by lawyers Mr.Mr Achilleas Dimitriadis and Mr Polyviou.
In his intervention, Mr Polyviou stressed that the issue of the enforcement of the judgments of the ECtHR runs up against political issues concerning violations of international law and human rights by member states of the Council of Europe and the ineffective supervision of the enforcement of those judgments by the Committee of Ministers.
In his intervention, Mr Polyviou stressed that the issue of the enforcement of the judgments of the ECtHR runs up against political issues concerning violations of international law and human rights by member states of the Council of Europe and the ineffective supervision of the enforcement of those judgments by the Committee of Ministers. For every violation of ECHR provisions, he noted, there is a remedy and it should be applied in an absolute manner. Otherwise, Mr Polyviou stressed, violations will continue and will be repeated.
Demetriades pointed out that since there is a lack of political will on the part of States Parties to execute ECHR judgments, new instruments should be introduced through which to ensure the fair satisfaction of those who have appealed to the Court and have been vindicated.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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