LGBTI equality and human rights in Europe and Central Asia

Northern Cyprus abolishes the last law in Europe criminalising homosexuality

Today Northern Cyprus lawmakers abolished Criminal Code provisions which punished consensual sexual acts between adult men with five years of imprisonment.

Cyprus
criminalization of homosexuality
Media Release
Share:
Posted: 27 January 2014

Paulo Côrte-Real, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s executive Board, said:

“We welcome today’s vote and can finally call Europe a continent completely free from laws criminalising homosexuality. In 1981, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in its historic judgment in Dudgeon v UK case that such laws are in breach of the European Human Rights Convention and must be abolished. It took Europe 33 years to completely free the continent from these unjust and discriminatory laws.”