Sentence increased for people smuggler

The Court of Appeals on Tuesday increased an 18-month prison sentence to three years for an individual involved in aiding illegal residency in the Republic.

The decision came after the Attorney General filed an appeal, deeming the initial sentence “clearly inadequate.”

According to the ruling, the Attorney General’s appeal argued that the 18-month prison term for offences related to assisting illegal residency in the Republic was manifestly insufficient and should be increased.

“With the sole reason for appeal, the Attorney General proposes that the imposed penalty is manifestly inadequate in light of the seriousness of the offences and the need for general and specific deterrence and prevention.

“It is the Attorney General’s position that the trial court did not give due weight to these factors and, conversely, gave excessive weight to mitigating factors,” the Court of Appeals said.

The Court of Appeals has the authority to intervene only when the imposed sentence is objectively either manifestly inadequate or excessively severe. In such cases, it is its prerogative to determine the appropriate sentence.

The ruling highlights that the offences by the appellant undoubtedly fall under the broader category of crimes related to illegal entry, illegal transit, and illegal residency in the Republic.

The appellant arrived in Cyprus through the occupied areas. Although he moved to the free areas and applied for asylum, he soon became involved in assisting foreigners to remain illegally in the Republic.

Specifically, the ruling noted that on two occasions, in October and November 2021, he conspired with two other individuals to aid the illegal entry of five people to the free areas, before assisting them in remaining in the Republic illegally.