www.talkcyprus.org

[Bananiot]

Here is the verdict. The accused is cleared of all charges and obviously, "the Turk" was lying. I am left with a sour taste in my mouth for Greek Cypriot justice. How about you?

[erolz]

Is this on all the charges? There were several were there not?

Very disapointing :(

[Bananiot]

Oh yes, let me see if there is anything in Cyprus Mail ... here it is.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=22679&cat_id=1

[Crash Test Dummy]

Not even something minor like disturbing the peace.

[erolz]

:(

[Crash Test Dummy]

maybe the guy was actually innocent?? just following in Mooses footsteps by stirring things up

[erolz]

from the cyprus mail article

judge said wrote: Why would the accused verbally abuse Veysel for no apparent reason and how did Veysel know that he was sworn at if he doesn’t understand good Greek like he claims himself? It is equally unlikely that the accused would have then attacked two people for no apparent reason at a peaceful spot.

cyprus mail describes the defendant as

Quote: Police officials have linked the accused, a 28-year-old former policeman, with the ultra-nationalist party Chrysi Avghi (Golden Dawn).

Why would an man linked to unlta nationalist groups abuse and attack a 'turk'?

[Crash Test Dummy]

could be a set up?

[erolz]

Crash Test Dummy wrote: maybe the guy was actually innocent?? just following in Mooses footsteps by stirring things up

That is certainly one possibility Crash (and I was not i court to hear all the evidence, nor would I have understood it if I were). Another possibility is that is very difficult to secure a prosecution against a Greek Cypriot (especially a former policeman and someone with links to ultra nationalist groups) for attacking a Turkish Cypriot in the Republic of Cyprus. I have my own personal opinions on which is the most likely.

[Crash Test Dummy]

erolz wrote:

That is certainly one possibility Crash (and I was not i court to hear all the evidence, nor would I have understood it if I were). Another possibility is that is very difficult to secure a prosecution against a Greek Cypriot (especially a former policeman and someone with links to ultra nationalist groups) for attacking a Turkish Cypriot in the Republic of Cyprus. I have my own personal opinions on which is the most likely.


When you put it that way he is definately guilty. An extremist policeman who hates turks. would literally get away with murder.

[bg_turk]

This could have been an excellent opportunity for the Republic of Cyprus judiciary to prove that it is indepdent and that it is ready to dispense justice regardless of ethnic origin. But this opportunity has been missed and the Republic of Cyprus has once again lost the confidence and trust of Turkish Cypriots.

[Kifeas]

My gut feeling tells me that the man is certainly not completely innocent. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been caught up to be involved in two separate incidents. Consequently, my feelings align with those that wanted to see him condemn. However, I also know that “justice is blind” and doesn’t not go along with the public feeling but only according to the letter of the law. Having followed the reports of Cyprus Mail all along the trial process, I was almost certain that in the end he would have been cleared out of most if not all of the charges. This was not based on the defendant lawyer’s “Turk” remarks when referring to the Turkish Cypriot witness and the presumed negligence of the judge to correct him, but on the evidence themselves, and the way the police public attorney(s) had chosen to handle them always in relation to the actual pressed charges.

It looked from the beginning that the police public attorney(s) were messing up with the evidence and eye witness testimonies; in relation to the type of charges they had chosen press against the defendant. If this case did not involve some Turkish Cypriots, I would have thought right from the beginning that it was just another (not so unusual) police and public attorney messing up, due to negligence, indifference and -to some extend- incompetence.

However, because it involved the people it involved, I retained my doubts, as I had to also live room for the possibility that it was a deliberate “messing-up” or the possibility that it was an “over-zealous” (“officiousness”) messing up, and not just a negligence and an incompetence one.

It could be a deliberate “messing up” simply because the defendant’s lawyer was an ex-deputy chief of police and thus had his connections, or even because those that complained were Turkish Cypriots and the police public attorney for “personal” reasons did not want their complains to win any merit in the court. It could also be a case of “over-zealous” messing up, simply in order to attempt to make a political point by proving that although some Greek Cypriots might treat Turkish Cypriots in a racist way, the state and the police take action and punish them.

I had my doubts as to what exactly could be the case until I read in the Cyprus Mail report the following:

Quote: A representative of Action for Equality, Support and Anti-racism (KISA) Doros Michaelides told the Cyprus Mail that the acquittal was a setback but not the end,as his organisation will continue to battle racism in Cyprus.

“It appears that the court was unable to properly punish this man so perhaps it is time to take political action. We know all about Chrysi Avgh and have been monitoring their activities on the island for some time now. We also know that although there is no official branch on the island because they are based in Greece, there are people acting for them here because we have seen various marches and announcements from them here.”

Michaelides added that it was also time for people to stand up to radical extremists so the problem doesn’t spiral out of control on the island.

“It is vital that something be done so people should not be scared to stand up to these radical extremists. People should feel safe when it comes to matters of say testifying in court so that justice is served and these people are stopped. Although the problem isn’t big here, like in other countries, it is important that we act now to ensure that this organisation doesn’t get any bigger.
“It has been said many times that if Hitler was stopped early during the times he was just starting his Nazi party then there probably wouldn’t have been all that happened during the Second World War. That is what we have to do now and this is what I mean when I say we should be taking political measures against them.”
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=22679&cat_id=1

Were these people in some way or another behind this whole story, and in an act of over-zealousness they somehow "encouraged" and used the Turkish Cypriots to make “excessive” and /or “exaggerated” complains so that they “strike” a victory against the “Golden dawn” individual, but in their “over-zealous” effort they “pushed” the police to construct a loose and consequently a losing case, essentially achieving exactly the opposite result of what they wanted to achieve in the first place???? (Question)

If I remember rightfully, they have done something similar in the past, not with Turkish Cypriots but with some foreign workers whom they encouraged to file a law suits against their employers. Nothing wrong with playing such a role in the society, namely to counter attack racism! I just hope that in the future they are more careful.

[Dhavlos]

Seems like avery odd trial generally.

Correct me if i am wrong...but from what i got from it, the witness reports (from Turkish Cypriots andGCs) were not coherent, and the trial just seemed 'unproffessional'.

[bg_turk]

I wonder how many more assaults will it take, to punish this man?
Are two assaults not enough evidence already?
This man will not change, and it is only a matter of time before we hear about his next victim, of course, if the victim dares speak out.

[Viewpoint]

Come on guys why are you all so suprised?? it was a forgone conclusion the same old story he only bashed a Turkish Cypriot on 2 occssions whats the big deal was the same mentality in the 60s and still the same in 2005 nothing has changed.

This fiasco proves many things.....Im sure you can all work them out.