Alpha News

'Was Expected': Clerides on Court Decision Regarding Syliouris and Tziovanis

Published February 18, 2026, 14:20

Legal expert Christos Clerides described the decision of the Permanent Criminal Court of Nicosia to acquit Demetris Syliouris and Christakis Tziovanis in the 'golden passports' case as 'expected'. He argued that the indictment could not be proven, especially after the Al Jazeera video was not used as evidence. Clerides expressed the opinion that the case should not have been registered in the first place, as everything must be proven beyond any reasonable doubt in a Criminal Court. He also noted the excessive duration of the trial (approximately five years), emphasizing that such cases should be heard within a year. He stressed that there have been no significant convictions in major cases concerning the citizenship by investment scheme, while referring to the Nikolaou report which identified many cases requiring further investigation. Finally, he underlined the need to strengthen the Legal Service for the more effective handling of such cases.