A Limassol court has acquitted two police officers who faced charges of torture, cruel and degrading treatment, and causing actual bodily harm to an Iranian man, in a ruling delivered on Thursday.
The second defendant was acquitted at the prima facie stage of the proceedings, with the court finding that the evidence presented did not establish sufficient grounds of personal involvement in acts of violence or ill-treatment.
The first defendant was called to answer on the second and third charges — cruel and degrading treatment and causing actual bodily harm. He made an unsworn statement before the court, which was taken into account in the assessment of the evidence. He was subsequently acquitted on both counts at the conclusion of the defence proceedings.
Both defendants had already been cleared of the first charge — torture — at the prima facie stage, with the court finding no evidence of the specific criminal intent required for that offence.
The allegations
According to the complainant, the two officers attended his home on 9 September 2016 in connection with a family dispute involving relatives of his wife.
He alleged that the first defendant behaved aggressively, forced him to sit in a chair, restricted his freedom of movement, and insulted him with references to his country, religion and nationality. He further alleged that the officer struck him and threw water in his face before handcuffing him and placing him in a police vehicle.
The complainant also alleged that while at the police station, the first defendant continued to subject him to offensive and degrading behaviour, primarily verbal.
Regarding the second defendant, the complainant described only a general presence and participation in the police operation, without attributing specific acts of violence to him.
A criminal investigator appointed by the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints Against the Police (AADIPA) also testified, presenting findings from the investigation including statements from the complainant, the defendants and other individuals, as well as medical and forensic evidence. The investigator noted he had no direct knowledge of the events.
The defendants were represented by lawyers Maria Neofytou and Theodoulis Papavasileiou.
