Cyprus Editorial: Justice is blind

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“Justice is blind” is the phrase that refers to Lady Justice (the courts) that feels the weights she is holding up, and makes a verdict on what’s right and what’s wrong. That could well be the case of the verdict in Larnaca Criminal Court that found four of the six defendants in the politically-volatile Mari case to be guilty of manslaughter and criminal negligence for the deaths of 13 seamen and firemen exactly two years ago. The other two who were acquitted, have already been tried in the eyes of the public, regardless if they were guilty or not in the whole case that stank of political and public incompetence, right from the beginning.
As yet, none of the political leadership that was in government on July 11, 2011 has come forward to apologise, because the explosion at Mari, that decimated the Vasiliko power station and sank the economy into darkness, was the result of political arrogance, where the ruling administration tried to compromise between the harsh demands of western powers and allegiances to Syria and sponsor Iran. The cargo had reached Cyprus waters two years earlier and the government was hesitant to follow international sanctions. As a result, a political decision was taken to keep the arms shipment onshore and no further initiative followed on how to store the dangerous cargo and how to get rid of it, eventually.
At least, four people have been found guilty. Others, too, should have been charged with minor offences, basically for knowing about the risks involved and not doing anything.
The verdict will not bring back the 13 people who died for nothing. But at least it will revive some faith in the legal system and, some day, in the political leadership of this land.