Arrested Greek Cypriots in north spend more than ten hours in military court

The five Greek Cypriots who were arrested on suspicion of espionage in the north last month spent more than ten hours in a military court in northern Nicosia on Friday.

They had been held in custody since their arrest on July 19, and were brought before the military court to answer accusations that one of them had entered the north illegally two days prior to their arrest, and that the other four had aided and abetted that alleged illegal entry.

The prosecution had demanded that all five be ordered to remain in custody for a period not exceeding three months pending a trial, with two of the five already having been handed such a remand in a civilian court in Trikomo on Thursday, while the defence argued that the remaining three should be released on bail.

According to newspaper Ozgur Gazete’s editor-in-chief Pinar Barut, who was present for the hearing, police representative Hasan Ozguc told the court on Friday morning that the five stand accused of having “violated a military zone” – a crime which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

She said that later in the hearing, a prosecution lawyer had explained that the five had crossed into the north together by car from the British Dhekelia base at the Strovilia crossing point, but that when they crossed, only four identity cards were given to the police at the Turkish Cypriot passport control booth.

Defence lawyers had questioned the potential motive behind such a move, given that all five have been recorded as having entered the north “tens of times” in the past. As such, the lawyers said, one of them electing to enter the north illegally last month would be out of character and illogical.

Barut also said that there is “no camera evidence” which proves that the five only handed four identity cards to the police and said that when defence lawyers had asked the prosecution to explain the possible behind the crimes of which the five are accused, “there was no answer to be found”.

Later in the day, it was heard that one of the five, a 66-year-old woman, has been fitted with a pacemaker, and that another, a 68-year-old man, also suffers from other “health problems”, while all five are over the age of 60 years old.

However, Barut said, a prosecution lawyer had said the health problems described in court are “not an excuse not to remain in custody” and that “the health problems mentioned can happen to anyone”

She said the suspect who drove the car into the north told the court that they were sure they had given five identity cards to the police at the crossing point and received five identity cards after they had been processed, but that the prosecution “did not believe this”.

The driver also told the court that the five travel to the north every Saturday.

The court’s attention then turned to the matter of whether the five should be remanded, with a prosecution lawyer telling the 68-year-old man that “you must be rich, you have money, you can pay the guarantors off”, given that he had told the court earlier in proceedings that he owns two houses.

Former Cyprus Turkish teachers’ trade union (Ktos) secretary-general Sener Elcil was once again present at court, having been in Trikomo on Thursday, and once again spoke up on the five’s behalf, according to Barut.

“I think they are innocent. They would not run away from justice. I do not know them, but I have close friends in the south who do,” he is quoted as saying. He also reportedly offered a guarantee of £25,000 (€28,692) for one of the five to be released on bail.

He was then asked how he could guarantee that the five will not simply escape back to the Republic and never return.

“There are 45,000 Turkish soldiers and 3,000 policemen here. It is not my job to man the border, the Turkish army can do that,” he said, according to Barut.