Judge rejects Thanasis' family plea for exclusion

Today, the judge decided to spare Thanassis Nikolaou from a serious questioning about his death. This decision came after considering his family's request, which was based on the fact that he used to work as a lawyer for the Legal Service.

So, the process of investigating the 26-year-old National Guardsman's death, who was found dead under the Alassa bridge on September 29, 2005, is still on hold. It's waiting for instructions from the Administrative President of the Limassol District Court.

The judge mentioned that there was no real reason for her to step aside from this case as requested by the family's lawyer. She wasn't biased, and she wasn't involved in any testimony related to potential criminal responsibility of others regarding the 26-year-old's death or the investigation that was halted in October 2021. She also noted that there were no disputes during her time working in the Legal Service regarding this death investigation.

The judge also rejected the family's lawyer's argument that they needed testimony from her former colleagues in the Legal Service for this investigation. She explained that this is a general claim without specific names and that the court can't accept vague reasons for exclusion.

The judge's disqualification was based on her previous role representing the Republic of Cyprus in a civil case involving Thanasis Nikolaou's family. However, she clarified that she didn't handle the Republic's defense in the specific lawsuit, nor did she testify in that case. Her disqualification is to ensure the fairness of these proceedings.

Now, the case file will be handed over to the Administrative President of the Limassol District Court for further instructions.

[This article was translated from its Greek original]