A political dispute has emerged in Cyprus ahead of elections over a Direct Democracy parliamentary candidate in the Kyrenia district.
According to local reports, Valerie Tarapai was arrested in 2017 in a cannabis possession and trafficking case and sentenced by authorities in the occupied north to three years in prison.
In public comments, she acknowledged both the arrest and conviction, saying she ultimately served two years and was released early for good behavior.
She also said she has a clean criminal record in the Republic of Cyprus and described that period as a personal mistake. The issue has quickly become part of wider campaign-era political confrontation.
