Former officials in Nicosia court are suing state prosecutor for indictment of young woman alleged to rape • "Damage to Public Interest and Cyprus"

• British young woman taken to court // Photo: EI Nose. times

Petrus Clarides and Alcos Markides, two former Cyprus prosecutors, along with former justice minister Cyprus Cyprus, attacked the current attorney general on the island and called on him to revoke the conviction of British young woman from Ayia Napa. The young woman was convicted of raping 12 Israeli youths last July during a vacation.

The three wrote a letter to the current Attorney General, Costs Clarides, in which they attacked the decision to prosecute the British young woman, claiming that the decision was causing harm to the state. "The situation in which the Cyprus judicial system is crushing a 19-year-old young tourist is locking it up in the country for months, forcing it to seek mass funding is causing significant damage to the public interest in Cyprus and the status of the judicial system in the international arena," the former senior official claimed.

The British young woman arrives in Cyprus Court // Credit: Avi Cohen

Clarides himself dismissed the criticism, explaining that in light of the British woman's claims, there was no reason to dismiss the charges against her - but only to hold a trial in which the facts became clear. "The defendant has accused the investigating authorities of serious charges relating to the conduct of the authorities in its investigation and of how its confession was obtained," the prosecutor said. "Such accusations cannot remain unprovoked, so a trial took place and this is the end of the story."

The Nicosia government joined Clarides, saying they "fully trust the Cyprus judiciary," adding, "The Cyprus judiciary is judging by justice and law, and their work should not be interfered with."

The statements made by former prosecutors join the British pressure on Cyprus to release the young woman. Among other things, about a million Britons have signed a petition calling for the young woman to be released, announcing the confiscation of the island, which is considered a popular holiday destination in the UK.

In the UK, the young side is facing // The cover of the Sun newspaper in the country

The British government itself has also put pressure on Cyprus. Yesterday, British Foreign Minister Dominic Raub expressed doubts about the fairness of her young woman. A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Ministry said that "Britain is concerned about the legal proceedings in this troubling case, and we will make our submissions to the Nicosia authorities," the minister himself said.

Recall that the British young woman whose name is not allowed in advertising was convicted of raping rape by 12 Israeli young men she met during a vacation on Ayia Napa Island in Cyprus last July. Initially, the Cypriot police were about to accuse the Israelis of group rape, but at one point the young woman returned from her testimony against them - and then she turned from accuser to defendant.

The Cypriot court has ruled that the young woman decided to sue the Israeli young men for raping her after discovering that they had photographed her during sex with them. As a result of her conviction, she was sentenced to 14 months in prison.