26-year-old loses appeal against 14-year drug sentence

An appeals panel has confirmed a 14-year jail term for a young man caught with large quantities of cannabis, calling the punishment mild rather than harsh.

26-year-old loses appeal against 14-year drug sentence

An appeals tribunal has thrown out a challenge from a 26-year-old serving a 14-year jail term for narcotics offences, declaring the punishment was not too severe and could even be considered mild in light of the substances involved and the appellant's part in the affair.

The ruling, delivered on May 29, was released publicly on Wednesday. It affirmed in full the original judgment from the Limassol criminal court. The appellant and another individual had previously pleaded guilty to plotting an offence, unlawfully holding cannabis, and trafficking the drug. These crimes took place in Limassol during early 2023 and came to light through a police narcotics unit sting.

Officers recovered 25.8 kilograms of herbal cannabis plus 6.46 kilograms of resin. Both accused were given identical 14-year terms.

The man who filed the appeal — the second of the two accused — put forward three arguments. He claimed the trial judges ignored the fact that the stash was discovered in his co-defendant's residence and storage space. He also maintained his youth had not been weighed properly, and that the sentence was disproportionately long.

The higher bench rejected each contention. Judges found the trial court's reasoning sound and held that both men occupied important positions in the scheme, acting out of self-interest. The appellant, they noted, understood exactly what kind of illegal enterprise he was engaged in and how large it was.

On the question of age, the appeals judges said the lower court had already considered this element, alongside the pressing need for stiff sentences to discourage others. They pointed to the ruinous effects of narcotics activity and stressed that judges must play an active part in the collective fight against what they termed the "modern plague" of drugs, noting the suffering of addicts and the deaths, especially among the young, that result from this trade.

Source: Cyprus Mail

Source: Cyprus Mail