Case against remaining two Greek Cypriots in north rolls on

The court case against the two Greek Cypriots who remain on trial for alleged privacy violations after five were arrested in July continued in Trikomo on Wednesday, with a representative of the north’s land registry appearing as a witness for the prosecution.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the representative, named Firdevs Arici, explained to the court that the north’s land registry “follows a practice” of not allowing Greek Cypriots who do not live in the north to access official documents related to property.

She was then cross-examined by defence lawyer Oncel Polili, and clarified that people who have proven that they or their ancestors owned a property in the north before 1974, as well as their lawyers, are able to access documents related to their own property.

Polili told the court that this creates a “vicious circle”, as Greek Cypriots are referred to the Immovable Property Commission to appeal for compensation, restitution, or land exchanges, but that to be able to do so, they must have a title deed, which the north’s land registry would then refuse to hand over as they no longer live in the north.

He then accused the north’s land registry of discrimination based on nationality, to which Arici reportedly said, “so you claim”.

Arici then told the court that there is no law which stipulates that Greek Cypriots be denied access to documents unless they live in the north, and that this is simply common practice.

At the end of her testimony, the trial was adjourned until November 19.

Five Greek Cypriots were initially arrested on July 19 near Trikomo, with three having been released on Friday after being found not guilty of the crimes of which they stood accused at a military court in northern Nicosia.

At the military court, one of the five had been charged with illegally entering the north when the five crossed into the north via the Strovilia crossing point, near Famagusta, on July 19, while the other four stood accused of aiding and abetting the illegal entry.

The two who appeared in court on Wednesday remain on bail. They had initially been held in custody, but two separate rulings made by the north’s supreme court eventually saw them released on bail in September.