A Supreme Judicial Council decision to dismiss judge Doria Varoshiotou, declining to grant her permanent tenure after a two-year probationary period, was unanimous, according to philenews.
The seven Supreme Court judges comprising the Supreme Judicial Council reached the decision based on judicial assessment of Varoshiotou’s performance, according to sources. The Attorney General and three lawyers did not participate in the decision-making process.
Varoshiotou gained national prominence in May 2024 when she ruled that 26-year-old national guardsman Thanasis Nicolaou was murdered by strangulation in 2005, directly contradicting official suicide findings that had stood for 19 years.
Following her Nicolaou ruling, Varoshiotou was reassigned from criminal to civil duties. Her dismissal occurred just days before completing two years on the bench.
Judicial conflicts and dismissal
Neither the Supreme Judicial Council nor Varoshiotou has disclosed specific reasons for the dismissal. Legal circles suggest the decision relates to her courtroom conduct and conflicts with administrative authority.
Court documents reveal that in June 2024, Varoshiotou clashed with the Limassol District Court president over two separate death inquests unrelated to the Nicolaou case. When ordered to amend her findings in cases involving a traffic accident fatality and a scaffolding death, she formally refused.
In a memorandum, Varoshiotou argued that under Cyprus’s constitution and coroners law, no judge can be forced to alter a verdict once issued. She stated the president’s order “cannot be executed.”
The Supreme Court later identified legal errors in Varoshiotou’s handling of the Nicolaou proceedings, specifically her decision to prevent Stavrianos from testifying, though it declined to overturn her murder ruling.
Political response
The government has called for transparency regarding the dismissal. Deputy Government Spokesman Yiannis Antoniou told CyBC that the Supreme Judicial Council should provide summary reasoning to address public concerns.
Antoniou emphasised the dangerous perception that Varoshiotou was dismissed for political reasons, suggesting Cyprus’s judiciary operates “to order.” He stated this impression provides ammunition for populist exploitation.
President Christodoulides deemed public explanations necessary given the social interest in the Nicolaou case, though the Supreme Judicial Council has not issued formal statements on dismissal reasons.
Background of Thanasis Nicolaou case
Nicolaou was found dead under a bridge near Alassa village, Limassol, on 29 September 2005. State pathologist Panicos Stavrianos initially ruled the death a suicide, a finding that Nicolaou’s family contested for nearly two decades through campaigns in Cyprus and Australia.
The case gained momentum after Nicolaou’s remains were exhumed in 2020, revealing a broken hyoid bone indicating strangulation. Evidence presented during the inquiry included testimony about systematic bullying Nicolaou faced in the military, where fellow soldiers exploited his Australian accent and older age.
Former investigator Savvas Matsas, who was removed from the case by the attorney-general, testified that the original investigation contained numerous omissions and crossed “the boundaries of gross negligence and borders on a cover-up.”
Case aftermath
The Attorney-general’s office recently declined to file criminal charges against seven individuals identified as bearing responsibility for Nicolaou’s death, including two military officials, four police officers, and Stavrianos.
Nicolaou’s mother Andriana Nicolaou described Varoshiotou as “a worthy and incorruptible judge” and has maintained that authorities protected those who covered up the crime rather than pursuing justice.
The Supreme Court confirmed in February 2025 that Nicolaou’s death was murder, rejecting Stavrianos’s final appeal and marking the case’s legal conclusion.
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