Newsroom
Just as the trial of five Greek Cypriots in the Turkish-occupied north appeared ready to move forward, it was postponed again Tuesday, the latest in a string of delays that have cast uncertainty over the case.
The hearing was called off after one of the defendants reported severe back and waist pain, with defense lawyers arguing he was too unwell to appear. They asked that he be examined in a fully equipped hospital. While the “court” had already issued an order for testing a day earlier, the defendant was only checked by nurses and given an electrocardiogram and chest X-ray. No orthopedic tests were conducted.
The prosecution did not object, and the judge once more ordered his transfer to a state hospital for proper treatment. The trial is now set to resume September 10. So far, 16 prosecution witnesses have testified, with a parallel case scheduled for September 5 in occupied Trikomo.
Meanwhile, lawyer Murat Metin Hakkı, alleged to have ties to the case, was arrested at Ercan Airport as he returned to the island after six weeks abroad, according to local reports. Authorities accuse Hakkı of sharing personal data related to property disputes in southern Cyprus. He had reportedly left shortly after the five Greek Cypriots were arrested on July 19 and had not returned until now.
The arrests and repeated postponements have fueled criticism in the Republic of Cyprus, where families of the defendants call the detentions illegal. Observers say the cycle of delays, coupled with health concerns and new arrests, has left the future of the case as uncertain as ever.
