Justice for Thanasis: New report expected in 20-year mystery

After two decades of unanswered questions, the long-running case of Thanasis Nikolaou’s death is approaching a crucial turning point, with the conclusions of a fresh criminal investigation expected early next week. The highly anticipated report by criminal investigators Lambros Pappas and Thanasis Athanasiou will determine whether Nikolaou’s death was the result of criminal actions — and if so, who should be held accountable.

The latest developments come just days after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by state coroner Panikos Stavrianos, a key figure in the initial investigation that ruled Nikolaou's death a suicide. That conclusion has been widely contested by Nikolaou's family, who have fought for years to expose what they believe is a massive cover-up.

In a heartfelt post on social media, the victim’s mother, Adriana Nikolaou, expressed her frustration, saying those involved in the initial investigation deliberately concealed the truth.

"For 20 years, those directly involved have been covering up for the killers... There were serious testimonies in previous investigations that were deliberately not used," she wrote.

Nikolaou, a 26-year-old National Guard soldier, was found dead under a bridge in Alassa in 2005. The original investigation ruled his death a suicide, but mounting evidence from independent inquiries — including a 2021 forensic report confirming he had been strangled — suggests he was murdered.

The criminal investigators' report is expected to shed light not only on the cause of death but also on how authorities handled the case from the outset. The findings will be handed over to the family’s legal team, who have fought relentlessly to bring those responsible to justice.

While the contents of the report remain under wraps, the outcome could mark a major breakthrough in one of Cyprus' most controversial unsolved cases — a case that has become a symbol of systemic failure and the long fight for justice.