Parliamentary committee discusses decriminalizing social media posts during elections

The Interior Committee of the Cypriot Parliament has begun discussions on two legislative proposals aimed at amending the electoral law to protect freedom of expression on social media. Initiated by AKEL and ALMA, these proposals seek to exempt private individuals from legal prohibitions that restrict the publication of election-related content on the eve of and during election days.

The legislative effort follows an ongoing criminal investigation into 28 individuals and online platforms for alleged violations of Article 63 of the Law on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives. Committee Chair Aristos Damianou described the police summons of citizens for such social media activity as an unacceptable phenomenon, arguing that the law is outdated and had not previously resulted in prosecutions. While the amendment aims to ensure freedom of speech for ordinary citizens, it includes provisions to exclude influential figures to prevent improper interference in the electoral process.

The Ministry of the Interior has been granted 15 days to provide its official comments on the proposed changes. The committee intends to modernize the current regulations to ensure that simple expressions of political opinion do not lead to criminal charges in the future.