Criminal Code of the Republic of Cyprus (1959, amended 2017) 

(English) (emphasis added)

Excerpts related to Hate crime offences

Article 35A

The Court, in the context of the exercise of its powers when imposing the penalty, may take into account as an aggravating factor the motivation of prejudice against a group of persons or a member of such a group of persons on the basis of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion or other belief, descent, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Article 51A

Any person, who publicly in any way and in any form provokes the inhabitants to violence among themselves or to mutual discord or cultivates the formation of the spirit of intolerance, is guilty of a misdemeanor. 

Article 99A

Any person who intentionally, publicly and in a manner of a threatening or abusive or offensive urges or incites, orally or through the press or with written texts or illustrations or in any other way, violence or hatred directed against a group of persons or a member of a group of persons determined on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is guilty of an offense. 

Article 138

Any person who destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship or any object which is held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as an insult to their religion, is guilty of a misdemeanor. 

Excerpts related to Hate speech offences

Combating certain Forms and Expressions of Racism Xenophobia by means of Criminal Law, Law (L. 134(I)/2011). This Law, was passed in 2011 and was amended three times in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The racist motivation for any offence constitutes an aggravating circumstance. According to the Framework Decision and to the Law transposed it, the following intentional conduct is punishable: 

(a) publicly inciting to violence or hatred directed against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin; 

(b) the commission of an act referred to in point 

(a) by public dissemination or distribution of tracts, pictures or other material; 

(c) publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as defined in Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, directed against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin when the conduct is carried out in a manner likely to incite to violence or hatred against such a group or a member of such a group; 

(d) publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising the crimes defined in Article 6 of the Charter of the International Military Tribunal appended to the London Agreement of 8 August 1945, directed against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin when the conduct is carried out in a manner likely to incite to violence or hatred against such a group or a member of such a group. The legal persons are also liable for the above-mentioned offences. 

Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, concerning the Criminalization of Acts of a Racist and Xenophobic Nature committed through Computer Systems Law (L. 26(III)/2004) This Law, passed in 2004, but entered into force in 2006.

The Law criminalizes acts done through computer systems and concern the incitement or promotion of hatred, discrimination, violence against persons because of it their colour, origin or national or ethnic origin or their religion. 

The Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Law (L.12/1967). This Law, was passed in 1967 and was amended three times in 1992, 1995 and 1999.

Any person who publicly or orally or through the press or by written texts or illustrations or otherwise, incites acts that may cause discrimination, hatred, or violence against persons or groups of persons, because of their racial or national origin or their religion, is guilty of a criminal offence. 

Prevention and Suppression of Violence in Sports Fields and Corruption in Sports Competitions (L. 48(I)/2008) This Law, was passed in 2008 and was amended four times in 2011, 2012, 2012 and 2014. 

The Law criminalizes acts which are related to racism, i.e. discrimination or insulting persons because of community, race, colour, religion, language, of their gender, age, political beliefs and nationality origin (Article 72).