Ministry of Justice reforms police protection protocols for officials

The Ministry of Justice and Public Order of Cyprus has announced a radical redesign of the framework governing police protection for political figures and state officials, to be implemented throughout September 2026. This move effectively ends a custom that had been in place since the 1970s, which involved the Cabinet of Ministers in the approval process for personal security details despite the lack of specific legislative requirements.

Following a legal opinion requested from the Legal Service to clarify institutional competencies, it has been determined that the assessment of risk and protection needs lies exclusively within the operational responsibility of the police. Under the new model, all existing police escorts are currently undergoing re-evaluation based on objective criteria and standardized risk assessment procedures. Protection measures will be adjusted, and where no substantiated security need is identified, the police services will be terminated or modified accordingly. Furthermore, the new policy mandates regular risk assessments to be conducted every six months to ensure that protective measures remain justified and proportional to current threats.