Limassol, Cyprus – The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of lawyer Panagiotis Kleovoulou for orchestrating a violent attack at TEPAK University in Limassol in 2017. Kleovoulou, 64, was initially sentenced to 10 months in prison by a Limassol Court, but after appealing, his sentence was reduced to six months. However, the Supreme Court dismissed his final appeal, leaving him with no further options within the Cypriot legal system.
The attack, carried out by a group of roughly 20 hooded individuals, occurred during an event organized by the “Leftist Movement – We Want Federation,” injuring attendees and causing a disturbance. Kleovoulou, a member of the far-right group Nationalist Liberation Movement (EAK), was found guilty on seven counts related to the offenses, including rioting, causing or inciting violence, and assault.
Despite claiming a violation of his right to a fair trial due to external factors such as the former Justice Minister’s comments, demonstrations outside the courthouse, and media coverage, Kleovoulou’s arguments were deemed lacking in merit by the Supreme Court. The Court clarified that it does not have the authority to review the sentence itself, as the issues raised by Kleovoulou were considered judgments made by the lower courts.
During the attack, Kleovoulou led the group of hooded men as they assaulted the crowd with baseball bats and stones. Video footage captured him standing calmly as the violence unfolded, grabbing a man by the neck and punching him. He was also heard instructing the attackers to stop and distributing EAK leaflets as they fled the scene.
Kleovoulou’s background as a candidate for far-right ELAM in the 2014 EU Parliament Elections further sheds light on his affiliations and political leanings. The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss his final appeal serves as a conclusive end to the legal battle surrounding his involvement in the violent attack at TEPAK University in 2017.