Erhürman: Judicial Independence and Rule of Law Are Essential

In a social media statement, Erhürman emphasized that incidents incompatible with the Turkish Cypriot people’s legal culture are occurring increasingly.

Erhürman’s full statement:

“Every day brings new incidents that are inconsistent with the Turkish Cypriot community’s legal culture.

It is neither understandable nor legally acceptable to bring a lawyer in handcuffs to court who is about to be released on bail and poses no flight risk.

Let us clearly reiterate:

• Handcuffing must never deviate from its intended purpose or become a tool to harm anyone’s reputation.

• Fair trial principles must be applied fully to everyone, regardless of whether they are Turkish Cypriot, Greek Cypriot, citizen or not.

• The presumption of innocence is a human right; no one can be treated as guilty until proven otherwise by a court.

• Detention is a precautionary measure, not a punishment, and must not be turned into extrajudicial punishment under any circumstance.

• Creating a perception in society that decisions are politically motivated rather than legally grounded is extremely dangerous.

All institutions and authorities exercising state power must uphold these principles.

Judicial independence and the rule of law are indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot people. Everyone in this country, regardless of identity, profession, nationality, ethnicity, place of birth, or any other characteristic, must be equally protected under the law and the principle of its supremacy.”