Limassol, Cyprus. A criminal court rejected as premature preliminary objections raised by the defence in the private criminal prosecution linked to the death of Thanasis Nicolaou, allowing the case to proceed to the next stage. The case was adjourned to May 7.
Court ruling and defendants
The decision was delivered by Judge Christos Stroppou at Limassol criminal court on Wednesday. The objections were filed by lawyers representing five defendants, including a former state pathologist and senior police officials, who face a total of 38 charges connected to alleged misconduct.
Defence stance on the indictment
Following the ruling, defence lawyers said their clients would not respond to the charges at this stage, arguing that the indictment is defective. They cited a lack of sufficient detail in key allegations and the inclusion of what they described as “a non-existent criminal offence” in one of the charges.
“You can’t come to court after 20 years and not know what we are accused of and in what details,” defence lawyer Sotiris Argyrou said. Another defence lawyer said it was “unacceptable to be asked to respond to a multitude of accusations without a clear and sufficient description”.
Requests and concerns raised
The defence requested that the indictment be amended or annulled, maintaining that deficiencies in certain counts undermine the fairness of proceedings. Concerns were also raised regarding specific charges where, according to the defence, the alleged omission of duty is not clearly defined.
Nicolaou family lawyers and next steps
Lawyers representing the Nicolaou family reserved their position, saying they will respond to the defence arguments at a later stage. The court adjourned the case until May 7 to allow for clarification on whether any amendments to the indictment will be made, while stressing that “this process cannot be perpetuated”.
What do you think should happen next regarding potential amendments to the indictment?