Nicosia, Cyprus. The Supreme Court has rejected a request by German real estate agent Eva Isabella Kunzel for permission to register privileged writs of certiorari and prohibition to annul an interim decision by the Nicosia criminal court and suspend her trial. With the application rejected, the proceedings before the Nicosia criminal court will continue.
Challenge to interim ruling
Kunzel, who has been in custody since her arrest in July 2024, is accused of illegally advertising and promoting Greek Cypriot-owned properties in the occupied north.
The request sought permission to register privileged writs of certiorari and prohibition aimed at overturning an interim decision of the Nicosia criminal court and stopping the trial.
Defence arguments on European search warrants
It was announced on Friday that the defence had challenged on Thursday the legality of four European search warrants obtained by the prosecution in Nicosia in 2024, through which testimony was collected from the German authorities.
According to the defence, the court that issued the orders was not authorised to do so. It also argued that the defendant was notified months later, depriving her of the right to challenge the warrants and violating her right to a free trial.
Court decision
Judge Alexandros Panayiotou dismissed the arguments.
The court also said the applicant had not provided any reasonable explanation as to why she did not request time to file an appeal.