North Cyprus Toughens Penalties for Animal Cruelty

The TRNC Parliament has approved amendments to the animal protection law, marking a significant shift in legal recognition. Under the new legislation, animals will no longer be considered "property" but instead recognized as living beings. The revised law aims to impose stricter penalties for animal cruelty.

The bill, introduced in January 2025, received strong support from animal rights organizations. Under the new provisions, crimes such as killing an animal will now be punishable by imprisonment.

Speaking to Kıbrıs Postası, Nursel Karabetça, Co-Chair of the Animal Rights Committee of the Turkish Cypriot Bar Association, described the amendments to the Criminal Code as an important step forward.

Animal fighting is already banned under the Animal Protection Law. However, this provision was removed from the initial draft of the amendments sent back to the committee and did not make it into the final version of the law.

With the new regulations, several offenses against animals that were previously unaddressed in the Penal Code have now been criminalized. These include rape, abduction, injury, harm, abandonment in dangerous conditions, and illegal capture of animals.

Key changes in the legislation:

• Animal abuse is now punishable by up to three years in prison.

• Individuals whose negligence leads to an animal's death due to prolonged mistreatment may face up to two years in prison.

• Certain offenses will first result in a fine, but repeat violations will lead to imprisonment.

• The police will now be responsible for investigating crimes against animals.

It is important to note that the new law has not yet been published in the Official Gazette.