THIRD SECTION
CASE OF FOUTAS ARISTIDOU v. CYPRUS
(Application no. 11990/15)
 
 
 
 
JUDGMENT
 
STRASBOURG
7 June 2022
 
 
 
 
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Foutas Aristidou v. Cyprus,
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
 Anja Seibert-Fohr, President,
 Georgios A. Serghides,
 Peeter Roosma, judges,
and Olga Chernishova, Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to:
the application (no. 11990/15) against the Republic of Cyprus lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on 4 March 2015 by a Cypriot national, Mr Christakis Foutas Aristidou, born in 1955 and living in Limassol (“the applicant”) who was represented by Mr E. Efstathiou, a lawyer practising in Nicosia;
the decision to give notice of the complaint concerning the length of criminal proceedings under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, to the Cypriot Government (“the Government”), represented by their Agent, Mr C. Clerides, Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus, and to declare inadmissible the remainder of the application;
the parties’ observations;
Having deliberated in private on 17 May 2022,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
SUBJECT-MATTER OF THE CASE
1. Following a complaint of indecent assault, on 26 January 2010, the applicant visited the place where the alleged offence took place with the police, he was questioned, charged by the police and pleaded not guilty. On 8 April 2010 the police forwarded the investigation file to the Police Prosecution Service; the file was returned to them with instructions for prosecution by the Attorney General on 22 March 2011. An indictment was prepared and on 6 July 2011 the case was listed with the District Court of Limassol (no. 9886/11). On 26 September 2011 the applicant appeared in court for the first time and pleaded not guilty. The case was postponed several times, mainly because the court did not have time to hear the case. The hearing commenced on 18 September 2013. On 25 June 2014 the District Court of Limassol found the applicant guilty of indecent assault. On 9 July 2014 considering the applicant’s personal circumstances as well as the delay in filing the indictment with the court and the delay in the proceedings, the court sentenced the applicant to three months’ imprisonment. On 3 October 2014 the Supreme Court dismissed the applicant’s appeal (no. 180/14). 2. The applicant complained under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention about the length of the criminal proceedings with the District Court of Limassol as well as a delay on the part of the authorities in bringing proceedings against him following the conclusion of the investigation.

Article of the Convention at issue: Article 6
Outcome: violation