Criminal cases originating with complaints filed by police officers have shown a slight upward trend in recent years, according to data made public on Monday.

Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis made the figures available following a formal question submitted by Volt MP Alexandra Attalides.

The numbers concern cases where police officers were the complainants.

In 2019, 135 such criminal cases were filed; 142 in the year 2020; 123 in 2021; 132 in 2022; 150 in 2023; and 148 cases in 2024.

The main types of cases related to assaults against police officers, deliberate obstruction of the work of law enforcement officers, threats, grievous bodily harm, preventing lawful arrests and resisting arrest.

Other cases had to do with members of the public insulting a police officer, as well as offensive or threatening content published on social media, impersonating a police officer and causing malicious damage.

Regarding total criminal cases filed over the same period, these fluctuated.

In 2019, they numbered 25,077; peaking at 30,477 in 2022; and then dropping to 22,297 in 2024.