The military court case regarding the alleged illegal entry into the north of five Greek Cypriots who were arrested near Trikomo in July was on Wednesday adjourned for a week due to the continued ill health of one of the defendants.

The 68-year-old man had been taken to hospital at the end of Tuesday’s hearing, and his lawyer Ugur Culhaoglu told the court on Wednesday he remained unfit to attend.

According to newspaper Ozgur Gazete’s editor-in-chief Pinar Barut, who was present in court on Wednesday, the man had received an electrocardiogram and an x-ray of his lungs on Tuesday night, but “no treatment”.

She added that it was clearly “visible” in court that he was ill, and that he arrived “bent double” due to other health issues, having reported pain in his back and waist.

As such, Culhaoglu requested from the court that his client be examined.

The man then told the court through an interpreter that he has “severe pain in his waist and back”, that he “cannot move” and is “paralysed” by the pain, and that he has not slept for four days.

The prosecution did not object to the case’s adjournment, with the judge ordering that he receive treatment for the symptoms mentioned in court at a hospital.

Following last Friday’s hearing, Barut had said the 68-year-old man had lost “about 10 kilograms” since being arrested, while the remaining four have all lost between three and five kilograms.

Every court in the north will be closed on Thursday due to it being Mawlid, the birthday of the prophet Mohamed, while the other trial the five face, which is related to charges of privacy violations, trespassing, and breaching the peace, is set to continue at the Trikomo district court on Friday.

The next hearing of the trial at the military court will take place on September 10.

The police and the prosecution allege that when they crossed in one car from the British Dhekelia base through the Strovilia crossing point, near Famagusta, only four identity cards were handed over for inspection on the Turkish Cypriot side of the crossing point. The five Greek Cypriots deny this.

As such, one of the five Greek Cypriots has been charged with illegally entering the north, while the other four are accused of aiding and abetting the illegal entry.