Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

German pensioners arrested for docking in illegal ports
By Leo Leonidou


A GERMAN couple have been released on £2,000 bail after they were arrested in Limassol port on Sunday for “illegal entry into the occupied areas”.

Robert Nagele, 66, and Gunhild Wolff, 65, had docked in Kyrenia last Thursday and in Famagusta the following day, before moving on to Limassol, as part of a Mediterranean cruise on their catamaran.

A police spokesman said, “upon checking their documents, it was found that they had harboured in two illegal harbours and they were placed under arrest, as all ports and airports in the north are considered illegal. The 1975 law of the Republic of Cyprus declares that the ports of both Famagusta and Kyrenia are illegal.”

A representative of the German Embassy in Nicosia told the Cyprus Mail “we have been informed of the situation by the Cypriot authorities and are providing legal assistance to the couple, who are in this situation as they were not sufficiently informed on the legal situation.”
The couple will appear in court for sentencing tomorrow.

In May 2004, the government agreed to implement the European Union’s Green Line Regulation on the movement of goods and people, which states EU citizens have the right of free movement within the EU. It went a step further and drafted the code, which stipulates, among other things, that “EU citizens can cross the line to and from the areas not controlled by the government, irrespective of the point of entry”.

Last year, a Nicosia court ruled the government’s stance was that EU citizens, including Cypriots, enjoyed immunity when entering and exiting the Republic from non-approved points of entry.

The government, however, maintains it has every right to impose fines on people who had entered Cyprus through illegal ports of entry.

Earlier this month, the Aegean Sun, a Greek cargo ship that docked at Famagusta, in violation of Greece’s maritime regulations, was fined 5.2 million euros by the Greek authorities.




Well done, arresting pensioners was so brave

[erolz]

Last year, a Nicosia court ruled the government’s stance was that EU citizens, including Cypriots, enjoyed immunity when entering and exiting the Republic from non-approved points of entry.

The government, however, maintains it has every right to impose fines on people who had entered Cyprus through illegal ports of entry.

Another example of a ridiculous attempt to prosecute under a law that is not useable since joining the EU. No doubt the RoC courts will throw this latest prosecution out (or impose no sentance of fine) as they have done the others.

[Main_Source]

I would've just turned them away. Told them they couldnt dock in RoC.

[Yes2KKTC]

[quote="brother"]

In May 2004, the government agreed to implement the European Union’s Green Line Regulation on the movement of goods and people, which states EU citizens have the right of free movement within the EU. It went a step further and drafted the code, which stipulates, among other things, that “EU citizens can cross the line to and from the areas not controlled by the government, irrespective of the point of entry”.

My first posting in this forum so greetings to all.

Does it say what I think it says above or do I understand it wrong?

If it does mean what I think it means then aren't the Greeks braking the EU Laws and their own also?

AM I the confused one or the GC's?

I could probably think of many more questions but my head is spinning so much I just can't think what the GC's are playing at?

[erolz]

I would've just turned them away. Told them they couldnt dock in RoC.

You would do this regardless of agreements you made with the EU and said you would honour regarding free movement of EU citizens?

My first posting in this forum so greetings to all.

Welcome to the forums

If it does mean what I think it means then aren't the Greeks braking the EU Laws and their own also?

What appears to be happening in this case and the others is that certain elements of GC administration (AG office and police) keep trying to bring prosecutions using this RoC law (on enetering and existing Cyprus via ports of illegal entry) and the RoC keep throwing them out or refusing to impose any penalty on the guilty - based on the agreements made with the EU. I guess this latest one is based on the idea that the 'crossing' was not directly via the green line - a slight variant from earlier failed attempts. To me this is doomed to recieve the same results from the RoC courts - namely of being rejected or no punishment being imposed.
To mee it seems like these elements in the RoC that keep bringing these (arbitary and incosnsistent - a legal probelm in its own right) even though they no they will not be enforced as some kind of 'railling' at the impotence they have on this issue and which was a direct result of their EU entry. The only beneift I see in these attempts to prosecute are perhaps some 'internal' poltical gains in popularity but I personaly think the loses to the RoC in terms of undermining bi communal trust and in terms of image of RoC within the EU far outweight these parochial gains.

[Yes2KKTC]

I would've just turned them away. Told them they couldnt dock in RoC.

If the GC's didn't intent on keeping to the agreement of free movement for the EU citizens, why did they sign it in the first place?

Welcome to the forums

Thank you.

The only beneift I see in these attempts to prosecute are perhaps some 'internal' poltical gains in popularity but I personaly think the loses to the RoC in terms of undermining bi communal trust and in terms of image of RoC within the EU far outweight these parochial gains.

The image they are sending out to the world, as you said, does outweigh the benefits of internal gain by far, they know this but they are still doing it. There can only be one reason for that as far as I can see, and that is, they don't want unification. They are trying to boycott the new Annan Plan or should it come to a new referandum they want the TC's to vote OXI like they (GC's) will for certain. By both partys voting OXI, the GC's will not be blamed for the rejection of the plan on their own, like they were the last time. They know that if the results are the same as the last referandum, it will lead to the recognition of the TRNC. The arrests of the German couple and the court cases against the TC's and foreigners are all included in their plan against the Annan plan.

What ever their reason, their bad image can only be good for the TC's, I am just sorry that out of all the people they had to pick on a Pensioner couple. Or was it designed for maximum impact?

[magikthrill]

My first posting in this forum so greetings to all.

Does it say what I think it says above or do I understand it wrong?

If it does mean what I think it means then aren't the Greeks braking the EU Laws and their own also?

AM I the confused one or the GC's?

I could probably think of many more questions but my head is spinning so much I just can't think what the GC's are playing at?

greetings yes,

you are right the GC gov't is being retarted and Im not sure what they are trying to prove with this.

also i might say i am confused as you claim to have aknowledge of EU laws yet at the same time your name is "YES2KKTC".

[Kifeas]

What appears to be happening in this case and the others is that certain elements of GC administration (AG office and police) keep trying to bring prosecutions using this RoC law (on enetering and existing Cyprus via ports of illegal entry) and the RoC keep throwing them out or refusing to impose any penalty on the guilty - based on the agreements made with the EU. I guess this latest one is based on the idea that the 'crossing' was not directly via the green line - a slight variant from earlier failed attempts. To me this is doomed to recieve the same results from the RoC courts - namely of being rejected or no punishment being imposed.
To mee it seems like these elements in the RoC that keep bringing these (arbitary and incosnsistent - a legal probelm in its own right) even though they no they will not be enforced as some kind of 'railling' at the impotence they have on this issue and which was a direct result of their EU entry. The only beneift I see in these attempts to prosecute are perhaps some 'internal' poltical gains in popularity but I personaly think the loses to the RoC in terms of undermining bi communal trust and in terms of image of RoC within the EU far outweight these parochial gains.

Okay Erol, we heard you.
Tomorrow morning all GCs will run outside the Presidential palace in a massive rally and demand the resignation of the president and the government. Or isn't this what you like us to do?

[Kifeas]

The image they are sending out to the world, as you said, does outweigh the benefits of internal gain by far, they know this but they are still doing it. There can only be one reason for that as far as I can see, and that is, they don't want unification. They are trying to boycott the new Annan Plan or should it come to a new referandum they want the TC's to vote OXI like they (GC's) will for certain. By both partys voting OXI, the GC's will not be blamed for the rejection of the plan on their own, like they were the last time. They know that if the results are the same as the last referandum, it will lead to the recognition of the TRNC. The arrests of the German couple and the court cases against the TC's and foreigners are all included in their plan against the Annan plan.

What ever their reason, their bad image can only be good for the TC's, I am just sorry that out of all the people they had to pick on a Pensioner couple. Or was it designed for maximum impact?

[erolz]

Okay Erol, we heard you.
Tomorrow morning all GCs will run outside the Presidential palace in a massive rally and demand the resignation of the president and the government. Or isn't this what you like us to do?

I do not really want you to do anything in this regard. I have commented on this and other RoC attempts to use this law, why I think they are making these (futile) attempts and what I consider to be the result of such. Nothing more. Certainly no call for GC to go onto the streets and call for anyones resignation.