ECHR ruling against Cyprus on property expropriation becomes final

On September 21, 2026, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) officially finalized a ruling against the Republic of Cyprus regarding the case of Nikolaou and Others v. Cyprus. This follows the court's rejection of the government's request to refer the April 30, 2026, decision to the Grand Chamber. The court previously determined that Cyprus violated Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which concerns the protection of property.

The case centers on a 7,024-square-meter plot of land in Agios Athanasios, Limassol, which was expropriated by the state in 1976 for industrial development. While a portion of the land was used for road construction, the remaining 3,974 square meters remained unused for 32 years. The ten applicants, who are the original owners or their heirs, argued that the authorities failed to return the unutilized portion of the land to them after the original project plans were abandoned or altered.

By rejecting the referral request, the ECHR has effectively concluded the legal process at the international level. The decision reinforces the protection of property rights against prolonged state retention of unused expropriated land, marking a significant outcome for the plaintiffs in this decades-old dispute.