Newsroom / CNA
The Legal Service will not pursue criminal charges in the case of murdered National Guardsman Thanasis Nikolaou, prompting sharp criticism from his mother, Adriana Nikolaou, who accused Cypriot institutions of perpetuating a cover-up.
In a letter dated June 11, the Attorney General rejected a May request by the family’s legal team to appoint independent prosecutors to examine potential offenses by seven individuals. The Legal Service’s seven-page response, made public by Phileleftheros newspaper, outlines the rationale behind the decision not to file charges.
“The institutions continue to torment us and refuse to deliver justice for the blatant murder of our son,” Nikolaou told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). She condemned what she called a two-decade effort to shield those involved in the cover-up rather than hold them accountable.
Nikolaou criticized the dismissal of findings from two independent investigative teams, Matsas–Alexopoulos and Papas–Athanasiou, as well as the conclusions of a third coroner’s inquest. She also singled out forensic pathologist Eleni Stavrianou, claiming she issued an immediate and unsupported conclusion at the crime scene, without an autopsy or basic examination, a failure that led to a European Court of Human Rights condemnation of Cyprus for inadequate investigation.
“Those who murdered my son were amateurs,” Nikolaou said. “The professionals are those who covered it up and continue to do so.”
She described the Legal Service’s response as a symptom of “endless corruption” and warned that only public pressure could force accountability. “Only a public uprising will bring salvation to this country,” she said.
The family plans to consult with their lawyers and intends to continue their pursuit of justice. “We will not let those who covered up the murder of our son get away with it,” Nikolaou said.
