The trial of German real estate agent Eva Isabella Kunzel, accused of unlawfully exploiting Greek Cypriot properties in the north, was on Tuesday postponed until September 5.

The Nicosia criminal court granted the delay following a request by state prosecutor Anna Mattheou after the emergence of new legal issues, including a recent ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that may significantly impact the case.

Mattheou said she had only discovered the ECtHR decision the day before and did not wish to ignore it.

Presiding Judge Nikolas Georgiades agreed with the urgency, telling the court, “You cannot ignore it, and neither can we.”

Defence lawyer Rafaella Chrysostomou did not oppose the request, saying the delay would allow her side to study the same decision and prepare accordingly.

Georgiades asked both lawyers to study case law not only from Cyprus but also from England, Canada and possibly the United States.

The court will reconvene on September 5, until which time Kunzel will remain in custody.

The properties related to the trial belong to displaced Greek Cypriots who have never given consent for their use or sale.