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Outrage in Parliament over Turtle Incident - Calls for Stricter Legislation

Published January 21, 2026, 16:11
Outrage in Parliament over Turtle Incident - Calls for Stricter Legislation

The Environment Committee of the Cypriot Parliament has expressed strong outrage and condemnation over the recent incident of turtle abuse in the Chlorakas area. The committee announced its intention to promote amendments to the legislation, aiming to introduce a penalty for those who mistreat dead animals, as a legislative gap was identified in this matter. The Committee President, Charalambos Theopemptou, stated that in other countries, the abuse of dead animals is punishable by imprisonment. He also emphasized the need for better information and training of local authority personnel regarding the management of dead animals, especially in protected areas. The committee's discussion focused on the increase in animal abuse cases and the need for effective prevention and deterrence of such incidents. MP Marina Nikolaou of AKEL described the incident in Chlorakas as “shocking” and accused the Community Council of involving four employees. The committee pledged to legislate immediately to prevent similar incidents in the future, calling for accountability from the Animal Police, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Justice. The committee will also consider imposing exemplary penalties on the perpetrators.