Cyprus Attorney-General Petros Clerides said he will lodge an appeal to the Supreme Court against the Assize Court`s majority ruling to acquit the five defendants over a fatal air crash in 2005 in which 121 persons died.

The Court ruled by majority (two to one) that there was not sufficient evidence linking the defendants to the air crash and as such they bear no responsibility for the crash.

“I have read the ruling of the majority as well as that the minority and I have received the views of the prosecutors who handled the case and we have unanimously concluded that an appeal against the majority ruling is justified,“ Clerides said, noting that the existence of a dissenting opinion justifies his view than an appeal should be lodged.

He added that the appeal will be lodged within the next 14 days, adding that the arguments to be presented to the Supreme Court will be exactly the same as those presented to the Assize Court.

The Attorney-General defended the work of the prosecutors, reiterating that the case was difficult.

“The Law Office, the Police and the State in general have exhausted all means at their disposal so that the Court could reach a conviction,“ he said.