The Legal Service of Cyprus will challenge the decision to acquit Demetris Syllouris and Christakis Giovanis. They were former officials facing charges. These charges were about their actions in Cyprus's old citizenship program. This program offered citizenship for investments. This announcement is a big step in a public case. Al Jazeera's investigation in 2020 made the case more famous.
A court in Nicosia decided this week to free both men. However, the prosecution believes there were "judicial errors." Because of this, they will appeal the decision. Polina Evthyvoulou leads communications for the Legal Service. She said an appeal will be filed. She explained that judicial errors were found. She also said that the right to appeal is important.
One of the three judges disagreed with the acquittal. This judge thought conviction was possible for some charges. The prosecution wants to use this disagreement in their appeal. The court also did not allow Al Jazeera's video as evidence. They said the video was obtained illegally. This made it hard for the prosecution to show their full case.
The prosecution had many problems during the case. It was difficult to get witnesses to testify. Some witnesses were afraid. Others were sick or had left the country. These problems made the trial very challenging. The Legal Service mentioned these issues.
The case will now go to the Court of Appeal. This will make the process longer. The Legal Service also said they are concerned about criticism. They believe some people are trying to harm the work of prosecutors. They warned that attacks on justice officials can weaken the system. The earlier acquittal started a discussion. It focused on how news investigations are used in court. The Legal Service's decision means the legal fight will continue.