The family of Thanasis Nicolaou plans to formally request criminal prosecutions be filed and that private lawyers handle the case, as authorities continue to review an investigation report submitted a month ago.
The Law Office is still examining the findings of criminal investigators Pappas and Athanasiou regarding Nicolaou’s death, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In a letter expected to be sent as early as today to the Attorney General, according to philenews sources, the family will make two specific requests: first, that criminal prosecutions be brought against all implicated individuals, with cases filed in either the Criminal Court or District Court as appropriate; and second, that private lawyers trusted by the family be appointed to handle the prosecutions.
The family’s intervention will be supported by evidence from developments over recent years, including Cyprus’s conviction by the European Court of Human Rights for inadequate investigation, the coroner’s inquest findings, and two criminal investigations.
Sources indicate the letter will remind the Attorney General that two criminal investigations conducted over the past three years cannot be ignored. The first investigation by Matsas and Alexopoulos identified four individuals as potentially responsible, while the second by Pappas and Athanasiou implicated seven people.
The family will also cite the coroner’s finding that Nicolaou’s death resulted from criminal activity as further grounds for prosecution.
While requesting that the Attorney General file the prosecutions, the family will express concern about his impartiality, noting that during the most recent inquest he aligned with the position of medical examiner Panikos Stavrianos. For this reason, they will request private lawyers handle the court proceedings to restore a sense of justice and rule of law.
Meanwhile, sources report that after the Cabinet forwarded the latest investigation report to the Attorney General, it was assigned to a team of legal officers for review.
This review has reportedly been completed, and senior officials are now discussing various aspects and parameters with the legal team.
When approached for comment, the Law Office would only say that no decision has yet been made on the final handling of the report.
Case background
Thanasis’ body was found under a bridge in Alassa in 2005 and his death was deemed by the army and police as a suicide. But after his remains were exhumed in 2020 over suspicions of foul play, further autopsies showed he had been beaten and strangled.
