The Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, Dominique Raab, stressed in a statement the great importance she attaches to the case of the 19-year-old British woman who is awaiting the announcement of her sentence in Cyprus, after being convicted of a false report of rape.
Mr. Raab said that he personally conveyed to his Cypriot counterpart the British concerns about the way the trial was conducted, did not rule out the possibility of a travel recommendation against Cyprus in case of imprisonment, confirmed that he spoke with the mother of the convicted his is the return of the young woman to her home.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday morning, Mr Raab spoke of a "terrible case" and noted that he had conveyed to his Cypriot counterpart the concerns of the British government about the 19-year-old's health and the legal process.
He added that the British side should not do anything that would worsen the situation until Tuesday, the day of the sentencing.
"But the concerns we have had have been fully, firmly and unequivocally recorded with the Cypriot authorities," he added. Speaking later on BBC television, he reiterated that British concerns about the case and the "terrible martyrdom" of the 19-year-old had been expressed "in crystal clear terms" to the Cypriot authorities.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Raab also said there were "clear questions about the correctness of the proceedings and whether the safeguards were applied" in the case.
In both interviews, however, he noted that "Cypriots are very sensitive about the extent to which it appears that there is political interference" in the work of justice.
"We need very sensitive handling so that we do not do something counterproductive," Mr Raab told Sky News, adding that the British government did not control the Cypriot justice system. "We will encourage them (the Cypriots) to do the right thing, in the right way," he told the BBC.
He added that on Friday he talked to the mother of the 19-year-old on Friday to see what further support the Foreign Office can offer.
"My first priority is to be well and return home safe and sound," said Dominic Raab.
Asked what the reaction of the British government would be if the young woman was imprisoned on Tuesday, the British Foreign Secretary said that he did not want to prejudge the developments, but stressed that the case is "fixed on his radar".
Asked by the BBC whether a directive could be issued against British tourists visiting Cyprus, Mr Raab said "we are always reconsidering our travel recommendations", assuring that British concerns had been made clear to the Cypriot authorities.
Source: KYPE