Nicosia, Cyprus. The European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights and the Cyprus Democratic Lawyers Association condemned the continued existence of the British bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The organisations said the bases were established in 1960 as a condition for Cyprus’ independence.
Joint statement on the bases
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the organisations said the bases were imposed without the free consent of the Cypriot people.
“This was not self-determination. It was imperialism in a new legal form,” they said, adding that Britain’s claims of sovereignty over the areas are legally and politically void.
Reference to ICJ opinion on Chagos
The groups compared the situation to the 2019 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the separation of the Chagos archipelago from Mauritius, which found the detachment illegal because it was “not based on the genuine will of the people”.
Impact and calls to the Cypriot government
The lawyers argued that the British bases fragment Cyprus’ territory and expose the island and its populace to external conflicts.
The statement called on the Cypriot government to end its tolerance of the bases, clarify steps with the UK for their removal, and assert Cyprus’ rights under international law.
“Cyprus has every right to challenge this colonial legacy in international forums and demand complete decolonisation,” they said.
Anastasiades’ past comments and a 2014 agreement
Former president Nicos Anastasiades previously said discussion over the future of the bases is premature and argued that any reassessment should follow a political settlement of the Cyprus problem.
Regarding the Mauritius precedent, he said it could strengthen Cyprus’ legal arguments over the bases but stressed that Whitehall has historically not supported Cypriot positions.
“The British have never favoured our positions,” he said, pointing to a 2014 agreement with then British Prime Minister David Cameron under which land within the bases was returned for development.
What steps should the Cypriot government take next regarding the British bases?
