The lawyers representing a couple detained for 16 days on suspicion of terrorism-related offences have hinted at legal action against the Republic of Cyprus, warning that the case raises serious questions about the handling of the arrest.
Michalis Kozakos and Nikos Koromias, who took on the legal representation of the 28-year-old Azerbaijani man and 27-year-old Estonian woman from the moment of their arrest on 26 February, issued a written statement criticising the way police handled the case.
The couple were released after the police investigation concluded with no evidence of any unlawful activity. In their statement, the lawyers said the fact that two tourists were held for 16 days — including the day of their arrest — without anything incriminating emerging, “should at the very least give cause for concern.”
The lawyers also warned that incidents of this kind damage Cyprus’s image as a safe and welcoming tourist destination, adding that Cyprus “is and must remain a state governed by the rule of law, in which respect for fundamental rights — and personal liberty in particular — is a non-negotiable principle.”
The statement concluded that the couple “reserve all their legal rights.”
According to information previously published by Phileleftheros, police alleged that the couple had photographed sites linked to Israeli interests in Paphos. The 28-year-old was also described by police as an Iranian agent recruited by the Revolutionary Guards.