Torture charges dropped against police officers, but serious charges remain

THE NICOSIA Criminal Court yesterday acquitted 10 police officers on charges of torture and grievous bodily harm.

The court then instructed the officers, who are still facing a total of 70 charges between them, to apologise for their part in the December 2005 beating of students Marcos Papageorgiou and Yiannis Nicolaou.

The officers have to appear in court on October 2 to present their defence.

Six of the ten officers are still facing the charge of inhumane, harsh and humiliating treatment. If convicted they face a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. A conviction of torture would have carried a 14-year sentence.

Three of the officers are also facing the charge of tolerating inhumane, harsh and humiliating treatment and one of neglecting to do his duty.

Nicolaou, who attended yesterday’s court hearing, said he had faith in the judicial system and would wait for how the case would develop.

The court’s decision was based on previous cases and on the evidence presented over the past few months.

The state prosecution said the charge of inhumane, harsh and humiliating treatment was as serious as torture.

The December 20 incident, which brought much shame on the police force and damaged public confidence, first came to light in March 2006 after a video recording was leaked to Politis newspaper. The 43-minute tape, which was accepted into evidence, shows the repeated battering of Papageorgiou and Nicolaou by plainclothes officers during a routine ID check during the early hours in Nicosia. The youths were 27 at the time of their assault.

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