Politis

Aemilianides on Al Jazeera Case: "Bad Decision for the Prosecuting Authority"

Published February 18, 2026, 09:20
Aemilianides on Al Jazeera Case: "Bad Decision for the Prosecuting Authority"

Legal expert Achilleas Aemilianides commented on the acquittal in the Al Jazeera video case, describing it as "bad for the prosecuting authority". He emphasized that the majority's reasoning did not only focus on the lack of evidence, but also highlighted omissions and weaknesses in the prosecution process, such as the failure to call important witnesses and the weakness of the testimony presented. According to Aemilianides, the decision touches on the overall way the case was investigated and prosecuted, especially given the complexity and public interest it generated. Aemilianides mentioned that the failure to call specific witnesses may be due to the assessment that their testimony would be against the case, or due to the low quality of their testimony, or even due to the witnesses' refusal to testify. However, he stressed that the legal service has a duty to explain the reasons why these witnesses were not called. Regarding the possibility of an appeal, Aemilianides acknowledged that it is not easy to appeal an acquittal, but reminded that there have been precedents where first-instance acquittals were overturned on appeal. The legal service must study the decisions of the majority and the minority to judge whether an appeal is justified. Finally, referring to the "money trail", Aemilianides noted that in corruption cases it is necessary to examine the financial flows, but in this case no evidence was presented to substantiate the offenses. The quality of the investigation cannot be fully assessed without full knowledge of the file.