Legal groups condemn British bases in Cyprus as ‘colonial legacy’

The European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDHR) as well as the Cyprus Democratic Lawyers Association (CDLA) condemned the continued existence of the British bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the organisations said the bases, established in 1960 as a condition for Cyprus’ independence, 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.

They 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”.

The lawyers argued that the British bases fragment Cyprus’ territory and expose the island and its populace to external conflicts.

The statement further 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.

Former president Nicos Anastasiades had previously commented that discussion over the future of the bases is premature and instead argued that any reassessment should follow a political settlement of the Cyprus problem.

In regard to the Mauritius precedent, he acknowledged that 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, while pointing to a 2014 agreement with then British Prime Minister David Cameron under which land within the bases was returned for development.

Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said earlier that Cyprus itself had not been directly threatened by regional tensions and that warnings related solely to the British bases. “It was not the Republic of Cyprus that was threatened, but the British bases,” he said, emphasising preventive measures to protect public safety and infrastructure.

Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou had previously reiterated calls for their abolition, saying the bases turned Cyprus into a target.

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak himself said Cyprus is targeted only because of the bases, while UK and allied forces, including France, Greece, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have deployed military assets to the region following recent security incidents.