Cyprus cabinet approves constitutional amendment for phone monitoring to fight organized crime

The Cyprus Cabinet has approved a bill to amend Article 17 of the Constitution, allowing law enforcement to monitor telephone communications for serious criminal offenses. This decision follows recommendations from an FBI team invited to assist the Republic of Cyprus in tackling organized crime. The surveillance measures will target specific individuals suspected of involvement in crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and child exploitation. To ensure legality and protect privacy, monitoring will only be permitted via a court order issued following a written request from the Police Chief or the Intelligence Service (KYP) to the Attorney General. Previous legislation from 2020 was reportedly never fully implemented due to technical challenges cited by telecommunications providers. The proposed amendment now moves to the House of Representatives, where it requires a two-thirds majority of 38 votes from the 56 members to pass into law.