‘Blue folder’ rejected as evidence in Greek Cypriots’ case in north

The “blue folder” which the five Greek Cypriots who were arrested in the north in July were carrying while walking around the village of Gastria, near Trikomo, was on Friday rejected as evidence in the civilian case against two of the five being held at a court in Trikomo.

According to newspaper Ozgur Gazete, the prosecution had aimed to use the folder as evidence in the case, with the pair facing charges of privacy violations.

Prosecution lawyer Ahmet Ozlemler attempted to present the folder as evidence, but defence lawyers demanded the opportunity to examine it and the documents inside it, with the court being adjourned to allow the defence to examine it.

When the court reconvened, the defence argued that the folder contained documents which their clients had said were not in the file, and that a number of the documents had “writings and markings on them” which had not been made by the two defendants.

They also said the two defendants had not prepared the documents in the folder, and that as such it would not be possible for the prosecution to direct questions about the documents to them.

Additionally, they argued that the car in which the five Greek Cypriots were travelling on July 19 was “taken by the police unlawfully” from where it had been left by them to the Trikomo police station, and that the search of it was carried out without a warrant.

Judge Semra Kaymaklili eventually rejected the prosecution’s request for the folder to be used as evidence but did allow for the folder and its contents to be presented to the court.

As such, the material will be able to be discussed and questioned but cannot be used against the two defendants in the court’s eventual verdict.

The next hearing of the case has been set for Monday.

The remaining three Greek Cypriots had earlier faced charges of trespassing and breaching the peace, but those charges were dropped on October 1.

Meanwhile, all five remain on trial at a military court in northern Nicosia, where one has been charged with illegally entering the north when the five crossed into the north via the Strovilia crossing point, near Famagusta, on July 19, while the other four stand accused of aiding and abetting the illegal entry. 

The five Greek Cypriots deny the charges, with the verdict in that case expected on November 7.

All five remain on bail, with the north’s supreme court having found in two separate cases that earlier remand orders against them had been handed down illegally.