Appeals court upholds conviction for assault and possession of an electrical weapon

The Cyprus Appeals Court has rejected an appeal filed by a woman, identified as E.I., confirming her original conviction for assault causing actual bodily harm and illegal possession of an electrical discharge device. The charges stemmed from an incident where the defendant used an object, described by her as a lantern purchased at the Kataklysmos festival in Larnaca, to attack another woman. While the defendant was acquitted of a separate charge of threatening violence at the initial trial, she was found guilty of the remaining counts and fined. Representing herself, E.I. presented nine grounds for appeal, alleging unfair trial proceedings, biased police conduct, and the absence of the physical weapon as evidence. The Appeals Court dismissed these arguments, stating that video footage and eyewitness testimony provided sufficient evidence for the conviction. The ruling confirms that the lack of the physical device did not invalidate the findings of the lower court. The case involved violations of the Firearm and Non-Firearm Law N.113(1)/2004 and the Criminal Code Chapter 154.