Cyprus Court Acquits Ex-Parliament President, MP in Golden Passport Case

A Nicosia court acquitted former Cypriot officials Demetris Syllouris and Christakis Giovanis of charges tied to the defunct “golden passport” program, citing insufficient evidence and absent key witnesses; the case originated from a 2020 Al Jazeera undercover report, followed by a 2021 inquiry that found widespread unlawful naturalizations and led to the program’s abolition, with related cases still pending or under appeal and the European Commission urging stronger anti-corruption enforcement.