Defendants in Thanasis Nicolaou private prosecution plead not guilty

On Tuesday, September 29, five individuals appeared in court to enter a plea of not guilty regarding the private criminal prosecution filed by the family of Thanasis Nicolaou. The date coincided with the 21st anniversary of the death of the 26-year-old National Guardsman. The defendants include forensic pathologist Panikos Stavrianos and four former members of the Limassol Police: Andreas Iatropoulos, Nikos Sofokleous, Christakis Nathanael, and Christakis Kapiliotis. They face various charges, including conspiracy to obstruct the course of justice, neglect of duty, perjury, and destruction of evidence.

During the proceedings, the court rejected the final set of preliminary objections raised by the defense, which sought to dismiss the revised charge sheet. With these obstacles removed, the case is now moving toward full hearings. The court has scheduled the trial sessions to take place from November 10 to 13 and November 23 to 27. The victim's mother, Andriana Nicolaou, stated that the family is pursuing this legal action because they believe the State and the Law Office failed to fulfill their duties following the death of her son.