Following the instructions given today to the Chief of Police to proceed with an administrative investigation, within a week, regarding the correctness of the actions of the Cyprus Police Force, before and during a basketball match held in Nicosia on Sunday 26 March 2023, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Ms. Anna Koukkidi-Prokopiou, announced a series of measures in relation to violence on and off the field of play.
1. Amendment of the relevant legislation to increase the penalty of exclusion of offending fans from sports venues up to ten (10) years.
2. Amendment of the relevant legislation to permit the administration of alcohol and drug tests, for the purpose of fully implementing the prohibition of entry into sports venues and adjacent areas, of persons who are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
3. Intensification of physical control of fans for the detection and confiscation of illegal and dangerous objects by the police.
4. Intensification of controls and surveillance of the movements of organized fans by the Police.
5. Establishment and operation of a permanent anti-bullying unit within the Motorized Direct Action Unit (MAD), with the exclusive task of policing sports matches or other high-risk events.
6. Amendment of the relevant legislation to involve the Police in the control of the implementation in sports venues of the fan card.
7. Implement a strict timetable for the installation of CCTV at all stadiums where currently the statutory requirements are not met. Amend legislation to ensure that closed circuit television is installed in all stadiums where first division matches are played, regardless of capacity, within specific timeframes to be determined in consultation with all stakeholders. The aim is to implement the fan card measure more effectively.
8. On the basis of an opinion of the Legal Service, consideration will be given to promoting, as a matter of urgency, an amendment to the relevant legislation so that the Police's recommendation to the relevant Federation to ban the movement of fans becomes binding. In the event of further incidents, the Police may recommend that matches be played behind closed doors, with a ban on matches as a last resort.
9. Re-evaluate financial or other assistance from the state to clubs.
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