Supreme Court rejects Nektarios' plea regarding monastery evidence seizure

On May 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of Cyprus rejected an application filed by Archimandrite Nektarios, the former abbot of the Saint Avvakoum Monastery. The applicant sought to annul a detention order for electronic evidence, including a DVR and hard drives containing surveillance footage, which were seized during an investigation into alleged financial misconduct. The criminal investigation began on March 8, 2024, following a formal complaint by Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini regarding potential financial crimes. Nektarios argued that the evidence was obtained illegally, citing a lack of a search warrant and potential violations of privacy, personal data protection, and religious freedom. However, the Supreme Court upheld the position of the Legal Service, determining that because the evidence was handed over voluntarily by a third party, it did not fall under the provisions of Article 32 of the Criminal Procedure Law requiring a search warrant. The court concluded that the police had a legal right to retain the voluntarily submitted materials for the duration of the investigation. The materials in question reportedly include recordings of conversations, meetings, and confessions that took place in the abbot's office.