French tribunal approves handing over Lithuanian suspect to Cyprus over land seizure in north

Judges in Aix-en-Provence have backed a European arrest warrant from Cyprus, clearing the way for a Lithuanian national to face prosecution over alleged illegal occupation of Greek Cypriot property.

French tribunal approves handing over Lithuanian suspect to Cyprus over land seizure in north

Judges at an appeals tribunal in Aix-en-Provence have ruled that a Lithuanian citizen should be sent back to the Republic of Cyprus to stand trial over accusations she unlawfully took control of Greek Cypriot-owned land in the territory north of the Green Line. The decision, handed down on July 1, endorsed a European arrest warrant that Nicosia had issued.

The Cyprus Mail reports that French police detained the woman on May 16 during a criminal investigation. Prosecutors in the Republic hailed the outcome as a landmark moment, stressing it followed months of joint work between the Cypriot legal service, the island's justice ministry, and French counterparts. Cypriot officials took part in the hearing to make their case directly.

This latest verdict reverses the court's earlier stance. In December 2025, the same bench had turned down a similar warrant targeting an Iranian individual in a comparable usurpation matter. That refusal had caused alarm in Nicosia about whether French jurisprudence would consistently recognise offences tied to properties in the north.

In explaining its ruling, the panel stated that the location of the alleged misconduct — the Turkish Cypriot-controlled area — did not block EU legal frameworks from operating or stop Cypriot warrants from being carried out. The judges also pointed out that the conditions in the north arose from a major violation of international norms, meaning France had a duty not to treat the situation as legitimate and to refrain from conduct that would reinforce it.

The Law Office in Nicosia said the judgment vindicated its reading of European statutes and the Republic's legal authority across the whole island. It further noted that the tribunal showed fidelity to foundational global norms — safeguarding sovereignty, territorial unity, and the internationally accepted governing power of the Republic — while fixing what officials viewed as a flawed path taken in the prior matter.

Source: Cyprus Mail