Filenews 2 August 2025
The authorities have arrested one person, in connection with a case of vandalism of public toilets in the tourist resort of Ayia Napa.
The case is in the possession of the Ayia Napa police station and has already taken the path of justice and is expected to be brought before the Court on Monday.
The Mayor of Ayia Napa, Christos Zannettos, in a post said that these are recurring phenomena of anti-social and destructive behaviour, which the Local Government is often called upon to face. He reminded that the sanitary facilities in the area have been upgraded in recent years at a significant cost.
"As a Municipal Authority, we clearly state that public property belongs to everyone and that the time has come to put a definitive end to such behaviours," he stressed.
Mr. Zannettos announced that he will request the immediate revision of the current legislation, in order to enable the installation of surveillance systems (CCTV) in sensitive public spaces, with the aim of preventing and deterring such actions.
Concluding, he underlined that the issue concerns all Municipalities, as respect for the public space and fellow citizens should not be a choice, but a self-evident and guaranteed right and obligation.
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The "military court" announced on Friday evening, around 23:00, that the decision on the fate of the five Greek Cypriots detained in the occupied territories and accused of illegally entering the occupied territories is expected to be announced at midnight.
The five Greek Cypriots are "accused" by the occupation authorities of "violating a military area" and illegally entering the occupied areas.
According to information, the speeches at the "trial" were completed and the "court" decided to postpone the announcement of its decision until midnight.
Earlier, five Turkish Cypriot trade unionists and activists volunteered to vouch for the five accused. They are Sener Eljil, Teifik Yoldas, Izzet Izjan, Ulker Fahri and Hassan Jezaroglu.
In a joint statement, the five "guarantors" said that "We have discussed with our friends from the peace initiative and we believe that these individuals are credible. This is a political trial, something that is being done in response to the trials that are opening in the south. These people will go through the judicial process in the north and be acquitted. They will not escape."
The "prosecutor's office" claimed that those who want to become guarantors do so for a monetary fee, a charge rejected by activists.
In addition, the daughters of two of the defendants were called as "witnesses", who presented a one-year rental contract to the "court". The "prosecutor's office" argued that this is a pretextual action.
The five men, aged 63 to 68, appeared before the occupation authorities, where they face charges of "illegal entry into a military zone". During the proceedings, the so-called "public prosecutor's office" asked them to remain in custody for up to three months, citing the need to complete the case file. The decision of the "court" was expected.
A journalist from the Turkish Cypriot website Özgür Gazete Kıbrıs, which is located outside the "courthouse" building in occupied Nicosia, spoke of serious health problems faced by some of the five Greek Cypriots. He noted that one of them is "accused" that during their passage through the Strovilia barricade, he did not show his identification document and the other four that they "covered him".
He noted that the "prosecutor", referring to the invocation of health problems, allegedly stated that "this is not a reason not to stay in prison. The health problems you mention can happen to anyone."
Greek Cypriots also reported visiting their ancestral properties in the occupied territories, taking a "tourist excursion", the journalist noted. As he said, they claimed that all five handed over their IDs for verification and that the driver, who often passes the barricades, is always meticulous and sure that he handed over five documents and received five.
The "prosecutor" allegedly asked them if they would pay to avoid "prison". He also questioned the intention of Turkish Cypriots from the "Peace Initiative" who offered themselves as guarantors, implying that they were paid to do so.
To the 68-year-old who stated that he has two houses, the "prosecutor" reportedly said: "So you are rich, you have money, you can pay the guarantors", with the 68-year-old replying that he worked for 45 years to acquire them and continues to work despite being retired.
The journalist notes that "although the records of the occupation regime show the passage of only four people at the barricade, no evidence has been presented for the motive of hiding one identity."
The proceedings were temporarily interrupted, it is reported, as the defendants were exhausted from the long standing.
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The appeal of the doctor, who was sentenced to four months in prison in March last year, for a case of indecent assault, was rejected.
This particular doctor was charged with four counts of indecent assault, namely that he kissed his patient on four occasions on the same day. He was found guilty by the Nicosia District Court after a hearing and sentenced to four months in prison for each charge, which were concurrent.
The doctor appealed to the Court of Appeal, challenging both his conviction and his sentence, arguing that it should have been suspended. The Attorney General had also registered an appeal because he considered the sentences to be insufficient.
The offences were committed in 2020 when the complainant 23-year-old had undergone anaesthesia in order to be examined by the specific doctor. When she began to recover, she realized that the doctor was next to her in the room with no other person and at some point kissed her on the mouth. This happened four times. It was the accused's position, that it was the complainant who kissed him and then she sent a message to her friend to be jealous, which the Court rejected.
The Court of Appeal (Judges Charalambous, Konis and Stylianou) ruled that the sentences imposed are in the range of leniency. The increase in the prescribed sentence in 2009 and the fact that there were four distinct indecent assaults (albeit in a short time) by a doctor on a patient, who was recovering from anaesthesia, could justify longer sentences, particularly for a person who did not benefit from the discount due to admission.
Of course, we understand, the judges add, that the leniency shown by the Court of First Instance is mainly based on the consideration of the extrajudicial punishment, the adverse consequences that the conviction has on the professional career of the accused and the social disdain that he experiences as a result of his conviction. "We do not disagree with the importance that the Court of First Instance attributed to these issues. Perhaps, by attaching the same importance, we would have chosen a higher sentence. But that is not the point."
The Court of Appeal finally rejected both his appeal against the conviction and the non-suspension of the prison sentence, as well as the appeal of the General Prosecutor.
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Damage was caused to the Polemidia park by unknown persons, who allegedly set fire to a premises in the area.
The incident was detected on Saturday morning by employees of the Municipality, when they went to open the facilities.
According to what the Mayor of Polemidia, Andros Theodorou, told Filenews, the perpetrators set fire to the façade of the park's pavilion, resulting in the destruction of part of the electrical installation.
Mr. Theodorou, in a post on social media in which he also cites relevant photos from the site, expressed his intense indignation, noting that this is a recurring phenomenon.
"Once again, spectators in the same play," he wrote. The Mayor also denounces the lack of reaction from the Police and the State.
It also notes that, despite the constant warnings and official briefings to the Minister of Justice and Public Order, as well as the Chief of Police, no substantial measures have been taken.
"The situation has gotten out of hand," he stressed, calling on the State to intervene immediately to prevent similar incidents.
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The Police arrested the 35-year-old driver of the vehicle that dragged 87-year-old Iphigenia Krasia. The woman was fatally injured in the car accident.
The driver was arrested to facilitate the interrogations.
The new fatal accident occurred at 8:00 in the morning while the 35-year-old was driving his car on Platonos Street in Lakatamia, under circumstances that are being investigated, swept away and injured 87-year-old Iphigenia Krasia, from Lakatamia, who was crossing the road.
The 87-year-old woman was injured and taken by ambulance to the Nicosia General Hospital, where her death was confirmed.
The Nicosia Traffic Police continues the examinations.
