Nikos Sykas is bitter about the way DISY handled the situation—the party had removed him from the ballot—but he remains an active party member, according to his lawyer, following the Legal Service’s announcement that it will not proceed with criminal charges against him due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Speaking on the “Alpha Enimerosi” program, Nikos Sykas’s lawyer, Christos Pourgouridis, stated that the Legal Service decided not to proceed with criminal prosecution due to a lack of sufficient evidence, as the complainant withdrew her complaint, and he explains why the case has remained pending for a year, as announced by the Legal Service.

“As a lawyer, I assume that I am leaving it pending not with the expectation that she might change her mind and go to court to testify. I think this is an unnecessary, overly conservative approach on the part of the Legal Service. But I understand the reasons that led them to this position. These issues are sensitive in society, and the legal department wants to appear to have exhausted all avenues.”

“In my opinion, when the alleged victim of violence has no intention of testifying in court, there are other steps that need to be taken; this is not the case here,” he continues, arguing that one cannot insist on searching for other independent testimonies, as this is rarely successful.

“The possibility that pressure was exerted must certainly be investigated. But since it is being investigated and the intent is clear and free of any pressure, everyone must respect it—journalists, the legal system, and the police must respect the decision of the alleged victim and not try to leave the matter open, which shows disrespect for the wishes of the alleged victim.”

He clarified that Mr. Sykas has no intention of taking legal action against DISY and intends to continue working for the party.

“He certainly feels some bitterness over the hasty decision made by the party’s collective bodies, but he has no intention of taking any further action. He tried through the courts to challenge the legality of the decisions, but was unsuccessful; and since then he has remained a member of the Democratic Alarm, and I believe he will continue to work for the Democratic Alarm—as, in fact, from what I’ve been told, he also worked on the last parliamentary elections.”

“Allegations of criminal offenses should be treated by all of us on the presumption that the person alleged to have committed the offenses is innocent,” he points out, adding that hasty decisions should not be made that send the message that the presumption of innocence is not respected.

“It is entirely different to remove someone from the ballot because they made a public statement, visited a community, gave a speech, and took a stance contrary to the party’s positions. In that case, you can proceed because they made a public statement whose facts speak for themselves and remove them from the ballot. When there is an allegation of a criminal offense, the situation is entirely different and must be handled differently.”

Mr. Pourgourides linked the media’s handling of the case to other instances, such as those involving Nikos Anastasiadis, emphasizing the need for careful handling when it comes to investigating criminal allegations.