A Limassol resident served a year in prison by mistake: the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction

A Limassol resident has been released after the Court of Appeal found him not guilty. The man had been convicted in absentia and sentenced to two years in prison in a 2015 case, accusing him of obtaining property by deception.

The appellate panel noted that the district court had incorrectly applied the law and failed to comply with mandatory procedural requirements. As a result, one key argument of the defence was found fully justified — the court did not even need to examine the rest.

The court also took into account that by the time the appeal was reviewed, the man had already served a significant portion of his sentence, and the case itself dated back almost a decade.

Considering all circumstances, the appeal judges decided that a new trial would not serve the interests of justice. The conviction was overturned, and the man was released.