Law groups challenge legality of British bases in Cyprus

The European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights and the Cyprus Democratic Lawyers Association issued a joint statement calling for the removal of British military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Established in 1960 as a condition of Cypriot independence, these bases are described by the groups as a colonial legacy imposed without the consent of the local population. The organizations argue that British sovereignty over these areas is legally void and compared the situation to the International Court of Justice's 2019 opinion on the Chagos archipelago. They contend that the bases fragment the territory and increase the island's exposure to external conflicts. The groups urged the government of Cyprus to seek the removal of the bases and challenge the legal status of the territory in international forums. Conversely, former Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades has previously stated that addressing the future of the bases is premature until a wider political settlement of the Cyprus problem is reached. However, Anastasiades acknowledged that the Mauritius legal precedent could potentially strengthen the Cypriot position.