The constitution clearly defines the separation of powers, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Monday, when asked about calls to sack deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides after the European Court of Human Rights condemned his decision about a rape case involving a politician.

Letymbiotis said the government’s position was clear: decisions and recommendations of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) must be implemented immediately. He stressed that all institutions of the Republic should make full use of these decisions to improve procedures, especially in sensitive matters such as rape or abuse of women.

Letymbiotis underlined that the government and President Nikos Christodoulides are working to modernise institutions.

He said 38 bills have already been submitted to parliament aimed at modernising and ensuring the separation of powers within the Law Office and other bodies such as the Audit Office.

When asked directly if the President intends to meet the attorney-general and deputy attorney-general, Letymbiotis said he had nothing to announce.

On whether the president would ask Angelides to resign, he replied that for years there had been talk of respecting the independence of institutions. He added that the constitution sets out this independence and separation of powers clearly.

The matter arose after the woman at the centre of the ECtHR ruling on Sunday publicly demanded Angelides’ resignation and urged President Christodoulides to act.

In a letter published by local media, the woman accused Angelides of sexism and claimed he failed to protect her basic human rights.

“Thank you for your contribution to justice so far, Angelides, but the time has come for you to leave,” she said.

Last Thursday, the ECtHR found Cyprus violated Articles 3, 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The judges concluded there were serious flaws in how the authorities handled the woman’s complaint and criticised the way the Law Office treated her.

The state was ordered to pay €20,000 in damages to the woman and €15,470 for her legal costs.

The case dates back to April 2021, when the woman, then 28, reported she had been raped in January 2011 at the age of 18. Police carried out an investigation, and the case reached criminal court. However, new testimonies and expert assessments later cast doubt on the consistency of her account.

Meanwhile, on Monday chair of the House Human Rights Committee Irene Charalambides has also criticised the Law Office.

“It is obvious that the Law Office has not realised the seriousness of the court’s decision,” she said.

She stressed the need for an independent body to oversee how Cyprus implements such rulings, with the latest one “pointed directly at the assistant attorney-general.”

She warned that despite improvements in police handling of such cases, it was the Law Office that withdrew a case already sent to court.

“This alone says a lot. We have protocols. But the Law Office does not have the political will to apply them. And this is not the first time,” she said.

Political parties on Saturday followed up the ECtHR ruling calling for change in the justice system in Cyprus.

The Alma movement on Monday added its voice to calls on Christodoulides to demand the resignation of the country’s two top legal officials.

Alma said that the prestige of the Law Office is “absolutely shattered” after the ECtHR ruling, and urged the president to act so that citizens’ confidence in the state and its institutions can be restored.

It said if the Law Office heads refuse to resign, the president should start constitutional procedures for their removal.