Cypriot journalists and lawmakers have expressed concerns about proposed legislation that would allow officials to lift source protection, a parliamentary committee heard on Wednesday.
The draft law, intended to align Cyprus with the European Media Freedom Act, would allow the Attorney General or the head of the intelligence service to independently decide when to breach journalistic confidentiality, according to George Frangos, president of the Union of Cyprus Journalists.
“The controversial bill, which hasn’t yet reached Parliament and will be discussed for the first time on the 15th of this month, provides for the lifting of confidentiality for journalists by decision of a single person, either the Attorney General or the head of the Intelligence Service,” Frangos told the committee.
His statement prompted an immediate reaction from opposition MP Irene Charalambidou, who exclaimed: “You can’t be serious!”
House Institutions Committee chairman Demetris Demetriou attempted to calm concerns by noting: “In February 2020, we passed legislation on lifting confidentiality for telephone surveillance, and the law isn’t being implemented. Don’t worry.”
However, Charalambidou insisted the matter required further discussion and later sought clarification on whether the Attorney General would have discretionary power to lift journalistic confidentiality when public interest security issues are revealed. Frangos confirmed this, stating: “In the end, it depends on the discretion of one individual.”
Frangos criticised the Interior Ministry’s consultation process, saying: “The Interior Ministry prepared a bill, supposedly harmonising with the European directive for protecting journalists and journalistic sources, which essentially distorts the meaning, letter and spirit of the European Parliament directive.” He revealed that stakeholders were given just 15 days to provide written feedback, adding: “They consider this public dialogue. We refused.”
He expressed concern that an advisory body proposed to include the journalists’ union “will never function” and warned: “What’s at stake is the protection of journalistic sources. When protection of journalistic sources is lost, ultimately investigative journalism is also lost.”
Frangos noted that three bills and one law proposal before Parliament “all tend to control and place restrictions directly or indirectly on journalistic content.”
Elli Kotzamani, president of the Cyprus Media Ethics Committee, reinforced these concerns, saying the legislation “violates its basic principle, which was the protection of journalists and media outlets.” She criticised the government for not improving the existing Press Law and instead developing new legislation with limited consultation, calling it “a major question mark and great concern” and describing it as “an overreach of power by the executive branch.”
MP Pavlos Mylonas shared his personal experience as a former journalist, revealing he once “found myself without a profession and working as a salesman to support my family.” He also disclosed witnessing an incident at state broadcaster CyBC where a political figure demanded his dismissal.
The parliamentary committee is scheduled to further discuss the legislation on April 15.
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