Newsroom
The long-awaited trial related to the Al Jazeera naturalization report kicked off today, despite the Prosecution's attempt to delay proceedings. The Court rejected the request for postponement, marking a dramatic start to the case.
Prosecutors had hoped for a short delay, citing issues with securing the testimony of two key witnesses linked to two of the five charges. One of the witnesses, who had previously confirmed her willingness to testify, has gone unresponsive, despite repeated efforts by the police. The second witness, who had been in Cyprus until recently, is now residing in London and has claimed medical issues preventing his return. He also reported receiving threatening messages, though it’s unclear whether they’re linked to the case.
The Prosecution’s spokesperson expressed concerns that if these witnesses fail to testify, two charges may have to be dropped, significantly impacting the case. But despite these challenges, the trial proceeded with the first witness called to testify.
On the defense side, lawyers for the accused denied any involvement in the delays and pushed for the trial to move forward. Dimitris Syllouris’s lawyer, Christos Triantafyllidis, said the defendant had been requesting a trial for four years and opposed any further delays, demanding the prosecution drop charges linked to the missing journalists. Meanwhile, Christakis Tziovannis's lawyer consented to the brief delay but denied any knowledge of the allegations against his client.
The trial will continue, but the Court's rejection of a delay has set the stage for a potentially bumpy road ahead as the case unfolds, with legal battles likely to intensify in the coming weeks.
