Three of the five Greek Cypriots arrested in the north in July were released on bail on Wednesday. The decision came after last Friday’s ruling by the “supreme court,” which found that the detention order issued by the “military court” in the early hours of August 2 was unlawful.
All five appeared before a military court in Nicosia, where the authorities of the regime in the north claimed that when they crossed in a single car from the British Dhekelia base through the Strovilia checkpoint, only four identity cards were presented for inspection on the Turkish Cypriot side. One of the men has been charged with “illegal entry” into the north, while the other four face accusations of aiding and abetting the offence.
Of the remaining two Greek Cypriots still in detention, reports suggest they might be released on Friday.
The case triggered both diplomatic and political action. The Cypriot government has lodged repeated representations, urging the release of the detainees. In parallel, the European Parliament was expected to debate the case tonight, with a joint resolution scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday. The initiative was spearheaded by Cyprus’s delegation to the European People’s Party and backed by DISY MEPs Loukas Fourlas and Michalis Hadjipantela.
