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The judge who shocked the country by ruling that the death of 26-year-old National Guard soldier Thanasis Nikolaou was not a suicide but the result of a criminal act has now been dismissed from the bench.
The Supreme Judicial Council announced this week that Judge Doria Varosiotou will not continue in the judiciary after completing her two-year probation at the Limassol District Court. The decision has raised eyebrows, especially given her role in one of Cyprus’s most closely watched cases and her past legal battle with the very system that appointed her.
A judge who challenged the system
Varosiotou’s path to the bench was anything but typical. In 2022, she took her own fight for fairness to the Supreme Court after being excluded from the judicial appointment process, denied even an interview by the District Court judges at the time. Her case challenged the way judges were selected, alleging that the process was flawed and lacked transparency.
She ultimately won that legal battle and was appointed as a judge by the Supreme Judicial Council, whose members also serve on the Supreme Court.
A bold ruling and a sudden exit
During her time on the bench, Varosiotou was appointed as the third death investigator in the long-running case of Thanasis Nikolaou, a conscript whose 2005 death was originally ruled a suicide. After a fresh investigation, she delivered a bold verdict: his death was not self-inflicted, but a criminal act.
The decision sparked public outcry, renewed calls for justice, and placed new pressure on law enforcement to find those responsible.
Now, just months after issuing that explosive ruling, she’s being let go, and many are questioning why.
No explanation from authorities
The Supreme Judicial Council offered no detailed reasoning for her dismissal, only confirming that her services had been terminated at the end of her probationary term.
Because all judges begin with a two-year probation before becoming permanent, the Council does have the authority to release a judge during that time. However, given Varosiotou’s recent high-profile ruling and history of challenging the judiciary, critics are questioning whether her dismissal is purely procedural or political.
Legal observers say the situation underscores deeper concerns about the transparency and accountability of judicial appointments and dismissals in Cyprus.
Varosiotou has not yet commented publicly on the decision, but her removal has already reignited public debate over independence within the judiciary, especially in sensitive or politically charged cases.
*With information from 24News
