Jurisdiction of Courts Challenged in Pohodin Case

The trial of Ukrainian national Dennis Pohodin, accused of 36 offenses related to advertising Greek Cypriot properties in Kyrenia and Famagusta, continued before the Criminal Court. The defense is challenging the jurisdiction of the courts.

The defendant's lawyer, Nicoletta Charalambidou, argued that the laws of the Republic cannot be applied in the occupied territories due to the occupation, and therefore the courts have no jurisdiction.

Ms. Charalambidou emphasized that the objection does not challenge the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, but the application of its law in areas not controlled by the government.

Furthermore, she stated that the parallel application of different laws and courts in the controlled and occupied areas creates legal uncertainty and human rights violations. The same lawyer had previously filed similar objections for Simon Aykut, which were rejected by the Criminal Court on December 20.