Supreme Court lifts parliamentary immunity of Marinos Sizopoulos

On Monday, the Supreme Court of Cyprus granted the Legal Service's request to lift the parliamentary immunity of former Edek leader and current MP Marinos Sizopoulos to facilitate a corruption investigation. Deputy Attorney-General Savvas Angelides stated that all legal requirements for lifting immunity were met and noted that the alleged offenses are unrelated to the MP's political duties. Sizopoulos' defense lawyer, Chris Triantafyllides, confirmed that his client did not object to the procedure, asserting that the MP wishes to be treated as any other citizen. However, the defense expressed strong disagreement with the facts of the case and the assignment of criminal liability. Sizopoulos noted that he originally reported the matter to police in April 2019, leading to an investigation that was subsequently archived. He expressed hope that this new legal process will lead to an objective and thorough inquiry. The presiding judge, Katerina Stamatiou, issued the decision following a short recess in the proceedings. The court emphasized that the presumption of innocence remains in effect throughout the investigation.