Dialogos

Scandalous Downgrading of ESK Identity by Cypriot EU Presidency

Published February 17, 2026, 09:02
Scandalous Downgrading of ESK Identity by Cypriot EU Presidency

The Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ) denounces a scandalous downgrading of its journalistic identity by the Cypriot EU Presidency. Cypriot journalists are being treated differently from their foreign colleagues during accreditation for the Presidency's activities, as the Presidency requires a journalistic identity card issued by the Press and Information Office (PIO) and does not recognize the UCJ's identity card, although both have the same validity in Cyprus. The UCJ demands immediate recognition of its identity, emphasizing that this practice exposes the country internationally and contradicts European standards for the protection of journalists. The UCJ has sent letters to the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, but has not received a satisfactory response. The UCJ has informed the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), which has also sent a protest to the Cypriot authorities, which remains unanswered. The EFJ points out that the refusal to recognize the UCJ's identity is unacceptable and violates the rights of journalists. The Board of Directors of the UCJ calls on all parties to vote in favor of a draft decision calling on the President of the Republic to submit all the information immediately, safeguarding respect for the Parliament and its constitutional role.