Not wearing a mask is a crime

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Law Vice-Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şölen Külahçı drew attention to the point that the COVID-19 pandemic affected our lives in all aspects and that it is a human duty to take the necessary precautions and wear a mask to be protected against the disease.

There is a wrong public opinion that there is no law regarding the obligation to wear a mask in the public and nobody can be forced to wear a mask.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Külahçı explained, "In our Criminal Code, Article 154, item 137, under the heading of the obligation to comply with the legal instructions, stipulated that the failure to comply with the decisions duly made by the authorized units is a crime and it is regulated that these people can be sentenced to imprisonment of up to two years".

Underlining that legal action may be initiated within the framework of Article 154 Penal Code against those who do not comply with the decisions regarding the obligation to wear a mask taken by the authorities, Külahçı said, “Therefore, those, who do not comply with the obligation to wear a mask, commit a crime. We should not forget that wearing a mask is an important measure to protect both our health and the health of others”.

It was noted that, according to the data of the World Health Organization, 80% of COVID- 19 patients caught this disease from their households, therefore, if adequate precautions are not taken outside, we threaten not only ourselves but also the health of our family.

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused changes in all aspects of our lives and we gave up our routine habits, Külahçı suggested that we should avoid crowded environments unless we have to, and we should not neglect to wear a mask in cases where we have to be in crowded spaces.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Külahçı pointed out that we should do our best as a society to overcome this difficult period with the least possible damage and minimum rate of local incidents, and added, “Both the government officials and the people have obligations to fulfill. The most important of these is to comply with the warnings made by the authorities. Preventing the pandemic from spreading without breaking off from social life can only be possible by taking individual precautions. For this reason, we should be especially careful about wearing masks and paying attention to personal hygiene”.