The opposition calls for protests over the “Mafia State” case

On Monday, June 22, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., a joint protest by the opposition parties AKEL and VOLT will take place outside the Attorney General’s Office (Law Office) in Nicosia. The political alliance has called on citizens to take to the streets in connection with the official report of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority, prepared on the basis of journalist Makarios Drousiotis’s investigative book “Mafia State.” The protesters are demanding the immediate resignation of Attorney General Giorgos Savvidis and his deputy Savvas Angelidis, as well as a transparent criminal investigation into the persons mentioned in the report.

The opposition says that the extensive 3,000-page document, investigated over about 3.5 years, confirmed long-standing public suspicions of systemic corruption, influence peddling, cronyism and abuse of power that prevailed during the rule of former President Nicos Anastasiades (mainly in events before 2014 and within the “golden passports” scheme). The report contains indications of possible wrongdoing by 15 natural and legal persons, including Anastasiades himself (who is alleged to have committed seven possible offenses), former ministers, MPs and Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev. The opposition sees the main conflict of interest in the fact that the current leadership of the Attorney General’s Office was appointed by Anastasiades himself and previously served in his cabinet, which casts doubt on the impartiality of any future investigation.

Since the Anti-Corruption Authority has only verification powers, not criminal prosecution powers, the materials have been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office and the Tax Department to collect an official evidentiary basis. In parallel, the ALMA party has already submitted two bills to parliament aimed at allowing the Anti-Corruption Authority to appoint independent investigators without the direct mediation of the Law Office. Anastasiades himself categorically rejected all accusations, calling them “unfounded,” and announced a major press conference for Tuesday, June 23. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis assured the public of the authorities’ zero tolerance for corruption and promised to launch all procedures предусмотрed by the constitution.