A lawyer involved in the private criminal prosecution regarding the death of Thanasis Nicolaou has claimed his life is under threat, a statement that the defence quickly denounced as an attempt to influence the proceedings.
- When questioned about whether the alleged threat was related to the Nicolaou case, Matsas responded that he did not know. Despite the tensions, he chose to remain in the courtroom rather than exit.
- Christos Klerides has now taken over as the prosecution's representative, indicating that he is prepared to proceed and may seek to include additional witnesses in the indictment.
- The indictment contains 39 charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, perjury, destruction of evidence, and the issuance of a falsified certificate by a public official.
During a hearing at a Limassol court on Friday, Savvas Matsas, who had been acting as the prosecutor in the case, announced his decision to step down from that role to testify as a witness. He cited a recent warning he received from Lykavitos Police Station about threats to his life as a primary reason for his withdrawal.
The defence, led by lawyer Laris Vrachimis, contested Matsas’s assertions. Vrachimis argued that Matsas had approached the police himself after observing an online post, subsequently filing his own complaint and requesting the notice regarding the threats. According to Vrachimis, police had not confirmed any danger, and he accused Matsas of fabricating the claim to undermine the integrity of the court process.
Another defence lawyer, Andriana Klaidi, supported Vrachimis’s position, asserting that Matsas had a vested interest in the case since he was the one who compiled the charge sheet and gathered the evidence for the prosecution.
When questioned about whether the alleged threat was related to the Nicolaou case, Matsas responded that he did not know. Despite the tensions, he chose to remain in the courtroom rather than exit.
Christos Klerides has now taken over as the prosecution’s representative, indicating that he is prepared to proceed and may seek to include additional witnesses in the indictment.
The case revolves around the death of 26-year-old Thanasis Nicolaou, an Australian-Cypriot national guardsman found deceased under the Alassa bridge near Limassol in September 2005. Initial investigations ruled his death a suicide, but a third inquiry conducted in 2024 concluded he had been strangled. This finding was upheld by the Supreme Court in February 2025. Despite this ruling of homicide, the state legal service opted not to file charges, prompting Nicolaou’s family to initiate a private prosecution that could lead to a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The indictment contains 39 charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, perjury, destruction of evidence, and the issuance of a falsified certificate by a public official.
During the proceedings, the defence raised multiple preliminary objections aimed at dismissing the case entirely. Central to their argument was the prosecution’s failure to provide witness material by the court’s deadline of 9 March. This included the complainant’s signed testimony and summaries of expected witness statements. The defence contended that this breach of Article 7A of the Criminal Procedure Law warranted serious consequences and called for the termination of the prosecution.
Lawyer Sotiris Argyrou further argued that Matsas’s dual role as both investigator and prosecutor—having compiled the charge sheet while also prosecuting it—created an inherent bias. He referenced European Court of Human Rights rulings and the Pinochet case to support his call for dismissal of the indictment and suspension of proceedings.
Defendant Christakis Kapiliotis, representing himself, cited a letter from the Attorney General to the family’s lawyer, stating that the AG did not consent to the appointment of independent lawyers as prosecutors and did not support any prosecution in the case. He also referenced the significant time elapsed since Nicolaou’s death as grounds to halt proceedings, labelling it an abuse of process.
Vrachimis concluded the defence’s preliminary submissions by describing the case as an unprecedented attempt to undermine justice. He stated that the defendants had acted based on what multiple inquiries had confirmed as a suicide and had been subjected to prolonged proceedings as a result.
The court adjourned around 3pm without concluding all submissions, with the next session scheduled for 19 March. The five defendants include forensic pathologist Panikos Stavrianos, who originally classified Nicolaou’s death as a suicide; Andreas Iatropoulos, the former Limassol Police Director; Nikos Sofokleous, the former head of Limassol CID; Christakis Nathanail, the former head of the Rural Division; and Christakis Kapiliotis, the former head of Lania Police Station.
