An independent murder investigation into the death of Cypriot Australian Thanasis Nicolaou will proceed despite a cretiorari filed by state pathologist Panicos Stavrianos.
A cretiorari is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency.
The Supreme Court of Cyprus granted Stavrianos permission earlier this week to file a case seeking to annul the third death inquiry into Nicolaou’s death. The first hearing will take place on July 24.
The inquiry from the Limassol district court ruled on 10 May 2024 that Nicolaou’s death in 2005 was murder by strangulation, vindicating his family’s long-held belief of foul play.
Nicolaou was found dead under Alassa bridge in September 2005. He was 26. Stavrianos was the state pathologist who examined Nicolaou and ruled his death was a suicide, however the family has long-argued it was a murder coverup.
At the time of his death, Nicolaou was serving in the armed forces of Cyprus. Nicolaou died a day after he reported horrific bullying at his army unit, and spoke out of suspicions of drug dealing at his barracks.
Recent developments have sparked a wave of fury from the public and Nicolaou’s mother.
“[Stavrianos] is criminally covering up a violent murder and he knows it,” she said.
Source: Cyprus Mail.
READ MORE: New investigators appointed to Cypriot Australian Thanasis Nicolaou’s murder case
