Newsroom
The camera system at the Turkish Cypriot checkpoint in Strovilia has been out of operation for four months. It was at this checkpoint that five Greek Cypriots crossed into the occupied areas on July 19, where they have since been held illegally, according to statements made Thursday at the “military court.”
An article published Monday by the online newspaper Özgür reported that the five Greek Cypriots had visited property belonging to one of them on July 19, where 75 houses have been built. After leaving the property, police stopped them on the road and arrested them following a complaint, the article said.
Özgür also reported that at a hearing Monday at the “Trikomo District Court,” three of the Greek Cypriots, charged with trespassing and causing public concern, were not placed in detention. The other two, charged additionally with breaching personal data, were remanded for up to three months. The article emphasized that the prosecutor’s office did not request pretrial detention for the three released.
At the “military court,” the hearing began with testimony from three prosecution witnesses.
The report noted that the court argued the man whose identity was not recorded by the checkpoint system acted deliberately, allegedly concealing the other four passengers in the car. The prosecution said it was not immediately apparent there was a fifth person in the vehicle because the rear window was tinted.
The defense highlighted that the man accused of illegally entering the “pseudo-state” without identification is 1.90 meters tall and was seated in the back with two women. They also noted that the officer recording checkpoint entries stands very close to vehicles, and the responsible “police officer” admitted that, had he observed more carefully, he could have seen all five passengers. The officer also said he noticed nothing suspicious when the vehicle passed on June 19.
He added that the cameras at the checkpoint have been out of service since last April due to a malfunction caused by construction work by the “Famagusta Municipality” near the crossing.
Additionally, the Özgür article reported that evidence presented at the “military court” showed the five Greek Cypriots had entered the occupied areas hundreds of times since the beginning of the year. The man accused of failing to present identification had crossed 325 times over the past three years.
With information from CNA.
