Cyprus: Ecocide raised in House of Representatives (complete with T-shirt)

On the 5th of May, 2022, Ms. Alexandra Attalides a member of the House of Representatives from the Movement of Ecologists- Citizens Cooperation (the Cypriot Green party) during her speech in the House of Representatives read her position on the subject of the implementation of the European Green Deal wearing a t-shirt from Stop Ecocide. At the end of her speech she declared that “Ecocide is a crime” declaring it should be regarded as such and that “we need to change our direction” (referring to humanity’s current behaviour towards the natural environment). 

Ms. Attalides, a member of the global “Ecocide Alliance” of parliamentarians, spontaneously adapted her prepared speech, having received her t-shirt that afternoon. Her bold move was supported by the Cyprus Stop Ecocide team joining her in their own t-shirts.

This was not the first time that Ecocide was mentioned as a crime within the Cypriot Parliament. Mr. Charalampos Theopemptou (on his 2nd term in parliament and President of the green party) was the first parliamentarian to raise it through the process of parliamentary questions on the 11th of September, 2020. 

Mr. Theopemptou requested the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment to inform the House of Representatives on the governmental position on a Law of Ecocide. The answer showed that the government of the Republic of Cyprus is aware of the conversation around Ecocide Law, and was supportive of the initiative at the international level.

The two parliamentarians will continue to follow up the subject.