Newsroom
In a twist in the ongoing saga of five Greek Cypriots held in the occupied territories, a ''military court'' on Wednesday ordered three of them released, allowing them to face trial as free men, though not exactly free, given the strict conditions attached.
The two others, already held by a “district court,” remain behind bars because of a separate case still pending. The court said the three posed no threat to the investigation and noted that prosecutors didn’t push for them to stay in custody.
Their “freedom” comes with strings: each must pay a 200,000 Turkish lira bond, check in weekly with the local “police station,” hand over all travel documents, and stay put in the occupied territories. The couple still detained will appear Friday, September 12, in Trikomo’s “district court,” where a decision on their detention is expected.
The next session of the “military court” for all five is set for September 17 at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday’s hearing also shone a light on what the defense called serious flaws in the investigation. Lawyers Oncel Polili and Ugur Çulhaoglu pointed out that no fingerprints were checked on critical evidence, including an identity card, with the “investigator” claiming it would be pointless. They added that authorities haven’t requested, and reportedly don’t plan to request, military camera footage from the Strovilia area that could clarify the case.
Polili went further, accusing the authorities of fabricating the crime, saying the arrests were made “to save Simon Aykut.” The lawyers argued that the investigation has been one-sided, with little effort made to gather evidence that could help the defendants.
With tensions high and questions swirling about the fairness of the proceedings, the five Greek Cypriots remain at the center of a case that has drawn local and international attention.
