Homosexuality is to be legalised in the TRNC, if the measures drawn by government are approved. The new amendment, drawn up by the Prime Ministry’s EU Coordination Centre, would repeal Articles 171, 172 and 173 of Chapter 154 of the TRNC Penal Code that prohibit male homosexual conduct. Currently there are two legal challenges to these provisions pending before the TRNC Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) respectively.
The Human Dignity Trust, supported by the local LGBTI organisation, Queer Cyprus (formerly ‘Initiative Against Homophobia’), had lodged the case before the ECtHR on behalf of an anonymous applicant. Öncel Polili, a Turkish Cypriot lawyer part of the legal team bringing the EctHR case has stated that:
“It is unlikely to be a coincidence that the TRNC Parliament drafted a bill in order to repeal the relevant articles of the criminal code immediately after it was communicated to them that the HDT lodged a case to the European Court of Human Rights.”
The ECtHR, through a 27 February 2013 communication, has invited the Turkish Government to submit their written observations on admissibility and merits of the whole case. The Court has decided to address the question of violation of right to privacy (Article 8).
Related news coverage on Cyprus Today, April 6, 2013
See also: https://www.facebook.com/humandignitytrust/posts/496768653705111
View original article here
by Anil Isik
source – MSM Global Forum
