Nikos Sykas’ bid to challenge his removal from Disy’s ballot has failed after the court of appeal rejected his case, ruling on Thursday that the matter no longer had any practical effect.

The court dismissed the appeal against an earlier interim decision which had refused to block the party’s politburo from ratifying his exclusion from the Limassol candidate list for the parliamentary elections.

Judges found that the appeal had been rendered moot after the party body proceeded with the ratification on February 28.

As stated in the ruling, courts do not examine “academic issues or disputes that no longer have a practical effect”, effectively ending Sykas’ attempt to reverse the process through this legal avenue.

Sykas had initially sought a declaration that decisions taken by Disy to remove him from the ballot were unlawful and beyond their authority.

The court of first instance had rejected his request for an interim order, classifying it as a precautionary measure and finding that while there was a debatable case, there was no evidence of “immediate and unavoidable risk of serious damage” that could not be remedied later.

It further concluded that there was no clear prospect of success or difficulty in delivering justice at a later stage.

In his appeal, Sykas claimed that the lower court misapplied the criteria for issuing an injunction and failed to recognise that the damage he faced could not be compensated financially.

The court of appeal dismissed a request by Sykas to issue a new ruling annulling the party’s final decision, stating that such an action would amount to exercising primary jurisdiction beyond the scope of an appeal.

Costs of €4,000, plus VAT, were awarded in favour of Disy.

Sykas had been selected as a Limassol candidate in October 2025 through an internal party process.

His removal followed a complaint of physical violence against his partner made public in January 2026, which prompted the party to recommend his exclusion, a position later endorsed by its politburo.

Although the complaint was subsequently withdrawn, the case continued to carry legal and political implications.

The supreme court had earlier lifted Sykas’ parliamentary immunity, allowing police to proceed with their investigation.

Disy leadership maintained that the decision to remove him was based on principle, with party leader Annita Demetriou stating at the time that “violence of any kind is incompatible with our values”.