Cyprus’ Court of Appeal unanimously overturned the convictions relating to the deadly wildfire, ruling that the defendant’s guilt had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
The decision was issued on August 11, 2026, by a three-judge Court of Appeal panel, which stressed that the ruling was unanimous. The case concerned his conviction for causing the major wildfire of July 3, 2021, and for lighting a fire in the countryside without a permit on the same day.
The Limassol Assize Court had imposed concurrent prison sentences of eight years and one year respectively, having found that he was the person who started the fire that then spread uncontrollably through the area.
The blaze became one of the most destructive wildfires in Cyprus’ modern history. Within a few hours, it spread to at least ten communities, including Odou, Akapnou, Eptagonia and Dierona, burning a total of 44.49 square kilometres of land.
The wildfire was one of the most destructive in Cyprus’ modern history, leaving four people dead and burning 44.49 square kilometres of land.
In its judgment, the Court of Appeal noted that there was no direct evidence linking the defendant to the start of the fire and that the case had relied entirely on circumstantial evidence.
The evidence presented before the Assize Court included, among other things, his presence at his orchard before the fire broke out, his ability to access the location where the fire was determined to have started, the discovery of two lighters in his vehicle, and certain aspects of his behaviour after the fire began.
The Court of Appeal found that these facts could give rise only to suspicion or the possibility of involvement, rather than the level of certainty required in a criminal case.
Source: Φιλελεύθερος
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