Interior Minister requests police inquiry into Makarios Drousiotis's fundraising campaign

On August 11, 2026, the Cypriot Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, instructed the police to investigate whether the online fundraising campaign launched by journalist Makarios Drousiotis violates the Law on Fundraising. Drousiotis, who initiated the campaign titled 'I ask for your help to defend the truth' to cover legal costs, has raised approximately €47,000 from 724 donors via the GoGetFunding platform. The Minister stated that a formal procedure exists for public fundraising, requiring approval from a committee, while Drousiotis maintains that his crowdfunding efforts do not constitute a charity under the law.

Following the Minister's intervention, the Union of Cyprus Journalists expressed serious concern, suggesting that the journalist is being targeted, as this marks the third criminal investigation initiated against him in a short period. As of August 12, police confirmed they had not yet received the formal referral letter from the Interior Ministry. Meanwhile, Minister Ioannou clarified that no individual will be prosecuted if the fundraising does not fall under the legal definition of the Fundraising Law. Legal experts and Drousiotis’s counsel have argued that personal legal defense crowdfunding likely does not meet the criteria for a regulated charity collection.