Cyprus’ Attorney General, Giorgos Savvides, has rejected calls from the family of Thanasis Nicolaou for criminal charges to be filed in connection with his death, citing a lack of sufficient evidence.
Nicolaou, a 26-year-old architect who returned to Cyprus from Australia to complete his national service, was found dead under the Alassa bridge in Limassol in September 2005. Initially ruled a suicide, a 2020 exhumation and forensic reanalysis confirmed he had been strangled.
In a detailed letter sent to the family’s lawyer, Nicos Clerides, Savvides stated that two recent criminal investigation reports did not present any new material to justify overturning earlier decisions not to pursue prosecutions.
According to reports by Philenews, inconsistencies in the testimonies of key witnesses further undermined the possibility of a successful trial.
The Law Office also concluded that forensic pathologist Panicos Stavrianos would not face conspiracy charges, stating that no evidence suggested he participated in covering up a crime.
Similarly, neither police officers nor military personnel involved in the case would be prosecuted, as there was no proof of intentional neglect of duty.
The Attorney General’s letter confirmed that no criminal proceedings would be initiated, either by the state or through private prosecution, as had been requested by the Nicolaou family.
The decision follows years of public scrutiny and the family’s persistent efforts to seek justice, including requests for both state-led and independently pursued legal action.
