Nicosia, Cyprus. The Nicosia criminal court ruled on Friday that a European investigation order issued by the Nicosia district court to German authorities to collect evidence against a German woman was issued legally. The woman is accused of advertising real estate in the north owned by Greek Cypriots.
Court ruling on jurisdiction
The woman’s lawyers argued that the district court had no right to issue such an order and that only the criminal court itself could do so. The criminal court found that district courts are also able to issue European investigation orders.
European investigation orders issued in 2024
Four European investigation orders were issued regarding the woman. The first two were issued on July 18 and July 26, 2024, and the other two were both issued on September 13, 2024.
Arrest and allegations
The woman was arrested in 2024 after a conversation aboard a flight with Elam member of the European parliament Geadis Geadi, in which prosecutors allege she admitted to selling Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north.
Procedural criticisms and earlier ruling
The case has included accusations against the Cypriot authorities regarding the procedures undertaken before and after her arrest. The same court had previously found that the seizure of her luggage and the search of her electronic devices was illegal, rendering the evidence “unconstitutional” and “impermissible”.
Broader prosecution efforts and recent cases
The case comes as the Republic of Cyprus has doubled its efforts in recent years to prosecute those it accuses of illegally advertising the sale of, and erecting building on, Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north. The most high-profile case was Israeli property developer Simon Aykut, who was in October last year sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to 40 charges related to the development and sale of Greek Cypriot property in the north, and was sent to Israel last month to serve the remainder of his sentence. In May last year, two Hungarian women were sentenced to two and a half years and 15 months in prison respectively after advertising the sale of houses in the north on their social media accounts and websites.
What impact could the ruling have on future European investigation orders sought by Cypriot authorities?