The British Supreme Court Wednesday rejected a petition by British citizens Linda and David Orams to file an appeal against the ruling of the British Court of Appeal in the case of Apostolides vs Orams.
In January, the British Court of Appeal ruled that the Orams must execute a judgment by a Cypriot court, which said that they must demolish the house they illegally built in the land of Greek Cypriot Meletis Apostolides in the northern Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus and deliver the property to its legal owner.
In statements to CNA, Lawyer of Greek Cypriot refugee Meletis Apostolides, Constantis Kantounas underscored the importance of today’s decision, saying that “this is the end of the road”.
He also expressed the view that today’s ruling proves that similar cases like the Apostolides case are not influenced in any way by the recent decision of the European Court of Humans Rights (ECHR), which said that a self-styled immovable property commission in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus constitutes an effective domestic remedy which Greek Cypriots must exhaust before resorting to the ECHR.
“We are very pleased and of course relieved because this is indeed the end of the road”, Kantounas told CNA, adding that already in January, he had said that the ruling of the British Court of Appeal ruling was final.
Kantounas went on to say that “with today’s judgment the British Supreme Court has clearly stated that the ECHR ruling in the case of Demopoulos vs Turkey and 7 others has no influence over such lawsuits. The recent ECHR decision does not change the status of such cases”.
Replying to questions, the Cypriot lawyer said that the Orams have moved from the house they illegally built on Apostolides’ plot and have abandoned the property.
But he noted that they have not yet complied with the Court ruling to demolish the house and pay compensation to the legal owner of the property.
“Since they have not yet paid any compensation, a decree was issued by the Court which Stipulates that property owned by the Orams in Britain is to be charged,” he added.
The British Court of Appeal ruled in January that a decision by a Cypriot court, in connection with claims relating to Greek Cypriot owned property in Cyprus’ northern Turkish occupied areas, must be executed.
The British Court judgment was issued in the case of Apostolides v Orams, in which Greek Cypriot Meletis Apostolides took the Orams couple to court, claiming his property rights over his property in the occupied areas where the Orams had built, illegally, a holiday home.
The Cypriot court had ordered the Orams to pay compensation to Apostolides, demolish the holiday home they had built in his property in the Turkish occupied village of Lapithos, halt all intervention on the said property and deliver it to its legal owner.
The British Court of Appeal said this ruling must be executed.
(Source: CNEWS)
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