Seven individuals are now the focus of legal action in the long-running murder case of Thanasis Nicolaou, as the victim’s family presses ahead with private criminal prosecutions over what they claim is a systematic cover-up.

The move follows a Limassol court ruling ordering the return of Nicolaou’s remains to his family, and comes amid continued silence from the state legal service. Despite receiving a damning report from independent investigators more than six weeks ago, the attorney-general has yet to decide whether to file charges.

According to Philenews, the private case will target seven individuals, including a state pathologist, four Limassol police officers, and two army personnel linked to Nicolaou’s conscription. Six of the accused are to face charges under article 134 of the criminal code for neglect of duty, while the pathologist, Panicos Stavrianos, is expected to face additional counts.

The names were included in a confidential report prepared by independent criminal investigator Christos Papathanasiou, submitted to the cabinet on March 12 and later handed to both the attorney-general and Thanasis’ mother, Andriana.

The family’s legal team had initially hoped for formal charges from the state prosecutor, which would have allowed the case to be tried before the criminal court, where more severe penalties can be imposed.

In contrast, a privately filed case will be heard in the district court, where sentencing is capped at five years. While legal experts in the attorney-general’s office continue to examine the findings, no public statements have been made on potential prosecutions.

In the meantime, the family is also preparing to amend a civil lawsuit first lodged in 2015. Following a Cyprus Supreme Court ruling confirming Nicolaou’s death was the result of a criminal act, the lawsuit will now focus on alleged official negligence during a murder investigation. The European Court of Human Rights had previously condemned Cyprus for failing to properly investigate the 2005 death and awarded damages to Nicolaou’s family.

Stavrianos is expected to submit a fresh request to the Limassol District Court, seeking to reopen the inquest and possibly apply for a certiorari order to overturn the court’s earlier decision to admit new evidence. The Supreme Court has already dismissed two previous requests of this kind.

Thanasis Nicolaou was found dead under a bridge in 2005 during his compulsory military service. His death was initially ruled a suicide, a conclusion repeatedly challenged by his family, who have spent nearly two decades fighting for justice.