Paphos, Cyprus. The Paphos criminal court has ordered that the trial of suspended Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos, who faces rape and domestic abuse charges, be held behind closed doors.
Court chief justice Lia Markou said publication of minutes from the forthcoming proceedings is prohibited under the ruling.
Court ruling
The decision was announced during a hearing on Thursday. The court also scheduled the next five hearings on consecutive days from July 27 to July 31.
Markou said open hearings would create a “visible risk” that the alleged victim’s privacy would be violated and that the quality of her testimony could be affected by fear and anxiety over possible stigmatisation.
She said the complainant must be able to testify without fear, making closed hearings necessary.
Arguments from both sides
Prosecution lawyer Irini Savva argued that the nature of the alleged offences made the case exceptional. She said the evidence to be presented includes elements of the complainant’s personal data and details of her private life.
Savva said holding the hearings behind closed doors would protect the complainant’s private life.
The defence argued that the complainant was known in Paphos by third parties because she had told dozens of witnesses that she was raped. Defence lawyers said she could not seek protection after making the case public herself.
They also argued that the manner in which the complaint was filed required a public trial, particularly where public figures are involved.
Charges
Phedonos pleaded not guilty to all charges last month. He faces five charges, including rape, indecent assault, actual bodily harm, and administering a substance capable of intoxicating or neutralising another person’s resistance.