In Cyprus, the court refused to release a pensioner pardoned by the president

In Cyprus, the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of an 82-year-old man who was sentenced to prison for killing a thief, seeking to have his sentence replaced with probation. Earlier this year, the country's president, Nikos Christodoulides, had pardoned the grandfather in March.

During the hearing at the Court of Appeal, Deputy Attorney General Savvas Angelidis stated that the verdict "is not blatantly excessive."

However, the legal service "will not object if the sentence is postponed, taking into account the man's age and health problems."

After the court session, the pensioner's lawyer, Maria Neofytou, stated that the defendant is currently awaiting the position of the Attorney General regarding the presidential pardon.

Recall that in March, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, instructed to pardon the elderly man.

However, intricacies of Cypriot law suggest that the final decision on the pardon cannot be made by the president alone but must be made in tandem with the legal service and with its consent.

Last month, Deputy Government Spokesperson Yannis Antoniou stated that the Attorney General's Office is blocking the presidential pardon.

"The initial reaction of the Attorney General's Office does not correspond to the president's opinion, so the president does not agree with the legal service's approach, which considers the issue purely from a legal standpoint," emphasized Yannis Antoniou.

The elderly man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after being found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and carrying and using firearms. The wounded thief ultimately survived.