Capital punishment in Cyprus

Capital punishment for murder was abolished in Cyprus on 15 December 1983. It was abolished for all crimes on 19 April 2002. Cyprus is a signatory of the second optional protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which provides for full abolition of capital punishment.

The last executions carried out were on 13 June 1962 when Hambis Zacharia, Michael Hiletikos and Lazaris Demetriou were hanged for murder at Nicosia Central Prison. Prior to that, 9 men had been hanged in 1956 and 1957 by the British as members of EOKA.

The unrecognised state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus retains the death penalty but, as of 2008, has carried out no executions.

References

* [http://www.geocities.com/[e-mail]/common.html Capital Punishment in the Commonwealth]