Irish woman may be freed tomorrow

Annette Mangan, the 22-year-old Irish woman serving a four-month sentence in the Nicosia Central Prison, may be released tomorrow…

Annette Mangan, the 22-year-old Irish woman serving a four-month sentence in the Nicosia Central Prison, may be released tomorrow, writes Michael Jansen from Nicosia.

Mr Graham Mangan, her brother, told The Irish Times that, according to the family's lawyer, the Cypriot Attorney General, Mr Alecos Markides, "looks favourably" on their appeal for clemency and would be handing a letter recommending a reduction of sentence to the President, Mr Glafkos Clerides, today. A Cypriot source confirmed this information but said it could take "one or two days to arrange Mangan's release". She was sentenced on August 8th by the Famagusta District Court for making a false accusation of rape against another Irish tourist following a night's drinking in the resort town of Aya Napa.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman last night said the Department had been informed that a decision on the case was likely in the next few days but had not been told what that would be.