Journalist Makarios Drousiotis and Kyriaki Kyriakou are due to make their first court appearance on Wednesday in the long-running "Santi" case, after the Legal Service filed a criminal case against them carrying 101 charges. The two are scheduled to appear before the Nicosia District Court at 8.30am, where the case will be referred for trial to the Permanent Assize Court of Nicosia. Wednesday's hearing follows the completion of a police investigation and the subsequent filing of the case by the Legal Service.
Background to the case
According to a Legal Service announcement dated 24 July 2026, the Attorney General of the Republic examined the evidentiary material forwarded by police on 30 June 2026 before deciding to file a criminal case against the two individuals. The case was registered with the Nicosia District Court, and the indictments were served on the two defendants by the Criminal Investigation Department of Police Headquarters.
The charges
The indictment comprises 101 counts in total, relating to the offences of preparing a forged document, circulating a forged document, publishing false news, and harassment. The charges remain allegations at this stage; neither Drousiotis nor Kyriakou has been convicted, and the case has yet to proceed to trial.
What happens next
Wednesday's hearing at Nicosia District Court will mark the first judicial appearance for both defendants since the case was filed. The proceedings are expected to focus on the referral of the case for direct trial before the Permanent Assize Court of Nicosia, the next procedural step ahead of a full trial.
