Data Protection Commissioner Irene Loizidou-Nicolaidou said on Friday that there are emerging criminal offences related to the handling of the case against monks of the infamous Osiou Avakoum Monastery, specifically concerning the operation of CCTV cameras.
In a statement regarding the CCTV operations at the monastery, she said: “The audit findings recorded acts and/or omissions, which constitute a violation of provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and, by extension, criminal offences. At this stage, no details can be released, as the investigative work of the police is ongoing, which should not be affected.”
She added that the audit began on March 22 and was completed, with the report being sent to the police on June 4. “The purpose of the audit was, on the one hand, to ascertain the legality, necessity, and proportionality of the CCTV in the monastery and, on the other hand, to investigate the events that took place in the diocese of Tamassos on March 5-6, 2024, and thereafter, which fall within my jurisdiction,” she said.
She added that irrespective of any criminal liability, under the GDPR, she has the power to impose administrative sanctions if deemed necessary. “This will be decided after the completion of the investigative work,” she said.
The videos that had previously circulated online also had sound recordings.
In a previous interview on the matter, the commissioner had said: “The use of sound from closed circuits is very intrusive.”
Nicolaidou said the circulation of audio was expressly prohibited.
The police are also investigating the manner in which the monks were taken from the monastery and allegedly forced to sign confessions to their alleged crimes. Lawyers have revealed that Tamassos Bishop Isaias had sent 30 police officers on March 5 to kidnap the monks in question.
Ten of the officers were even masked, reportedly.
Isaias himself is being investigated for these illegal actions and for the illegalities related to the CCTV footage, as it is rumored that his brother, who works for the secret service, had access to the material.
(Source: Cyprus Mail)
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