The five elderly Greek Cypriots who were arrested for alleged espionage in the north on July 19 are due to appear before court in the north for the proceedings of their trial on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

On Friday 29 August, the police officer who was working at the crossing point that the five passed through before being arrested in Trikomo last month was called to give testimony, with his claims examined closely by the defence lawyers.

The five Greek Cypriots, three men, aged 68 years old, 66 years old, and 60 years old, and two women, aged 63 years old and 60 years old, had entered the north in the same car from the British Dhekelia base through the Strovilia crossing point near Famagusta on 19 July.

The police and prosecutors in the north, however, claim that only four identity cards were handed over for inspection on the Turkish Cypriot side of the crossing point. The five deny this.

In this context, one member of the group has been charged with illegally entering the north, while the other four have been accused of aiding and abetting the alleged illegal entry.

Salih Can Doratli, the defence lawyer for the five, had previously said that there was “no visual evidence which can prove otherwise”, adding that there had been “no specific allegation” levelled at two of the five, “other than that they were travelling in the same vehicle” as the other three.

He added that “some” of the five had filed applications regarding property in the area in which they were arrested with the Immovable Property Commission (IPC), and that this had made the documents they were carrying publicly accessible.

The five had been arrested in a residential area in Galatia, where they were reportedly seen “walking around with a blue folder” and “causing concern”.

A Turkish Cypriot representative later said the blue folder contained information about construction company directors in the north, and “personal data of title deeds” belonging to 14 Turkish Cypriot, four of which have since filed complaints regarding breaches of their privacy.

Earlier court proceedings had been attended by officials from the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (Unficyp).

According to Turkish Cypriot media reports, another hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday at 11 am.