Özersay: “This Is Not a Judicial Process, It Is a Political Operation”

Referring to Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides’ statement that “This is a matter for the judiciary, there’s nothing we can do,” Özersay dismissed the remark as “nonsense.”

“The legal amendments were made by politicians, weren’t they?” said Özersay. “It was Christodoulides himself who supported these changes in parliament. With these amendments, certain crimes were reclassified as felonies so that arrests could be made and trials conducted under detention. This is a clear political choice.”

He added that the developments went beyond legislative changes. He noted that the legalisation of email notifications enabled proceedings to be launched without informing individuals living abroad, making them vulnerable to prosecution without proper notice.

Özersay also claimed that a special police unit in the south is behind these proceedings. “This unit does not wait for citizens to come forward on their own. On the contrary, it reaches out to them, persuades them, and has them file complaints. Even Greek Cypriot citizens who sought compensation and were ready for reconciliation through the Immovable Property Commission were pushed by police into becoming complainants. Following this, a foreign national was arrested and jailed.”

Stating that these developments are part of a deliberately orchestrated political strategy, Özersay accused the Greek Cypriot administration of insincerity:
“This is plainly a political strategy. They may try to dress it up, but the truth is clear. Saying ‘there is nothing we can do’ is an outright lie. No one should hide behind the excuse of a judicial process.”

Özersay warned that these actions are damaging trust between the two communities and deepening the political stalemate. He also called on the international community to take notice.