Newsroom
A Russian national was sentenced to six months in prison by a criminal court in the Turkish-occupied north after attempting to cross into the area using a forged vehicle insurance policy.
According to Kibris Postasi, the Nicosia ''Criminal Court'' found Arkhangelskıı guilty of “forging and circulating a fake policy” in relation to an incident at the Metehan checkpoint on November 25, 2024. The court said the defendant presented a counterfeit insurance document while attempting to enter the north in a vehicle with Cypriot license plates (KYL 179).
Presiding Judge Füsun Cemaller, alongside Senior Judge Vedia Berkut Barkın and Judge Tutku Candaş, delivered a unanimous verdict, underscoring the seriousness of forgery and the circulation of forged documents, which are punishable by up to 10 years in prison under the criminal code.
Later the same day, Arkhangelskıı reportedly crossed back into the Republic of Cyprus via the Derinya crossing. He was arrested on January 27, 2025, after attempting to re-enter the north through Metehan in a different vehicle (KSR 012), and was taken into custody under an existing arrest warrant.
The court noted that the sentence was imposed in part due to the wider public implications of such offenses, citing the prevalence of similar cases and the potential impact on checkpoint control and public trust.
Authorities in the Republic of Cyprus have long warned against using unofficial or unrecognized insurance policies when crossing into the Turkish-occupied north, where the legal system operates separately and under international dispute. The case serves as a reminder of the legal risks individuals face when using forged or invalid documents at crossing points.
*Source: Kibris Postasi
