Cyprus Mail 25 November 2020 - by Staff Reporter
All eight defendants in the killing of a 20-year old Syrian in Chlorakas last April were released on bail on Wednesday with Paphos Criminal Court setting the trial to start on January 18.
The prosecution also amended the charges, suspending the charge of premeditated murder and adding manslaughter and abduction with intent to harm, the Cyprus News Agency reported.
All pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution had asked that defendants 1,3,4,6,7 and 8 remain in custody until the start of the trial but their defence lawyers objected citing the issue of equal treatment by the prosecution of defendants and noting that evidence was the same but prosecution was not asking for defendant 5 to remain in custody.
They also noted that the defendants have been in police custody for eight months and the trial would not start for another two.
The court agreed and said that their presence in the court could be achieved by posting bail, reporting daily to the police station, handing over their travel documents and having their names put on the stop list.
Another two men aged 22 and 25 are suspected of involvement in the same case. They have fled to the north and efforts are underway through the bicommunal technical committee on crime for them to be handed over to stand trial.
Some of the defendants had told police that they were in the area of Vrexis on the night where they had gone in order to frighten the victim. They also said they had unsuccessfully tried to avert his fatal injury
The case concerns the death of 20-year-old Jamal Alhadz whose body was found hidden in a riverbed last April. The victim had been stabbed multiple times with a knife during an altercation in the Vrexi area on the coastal road between Chlorakas and Kato Paphos. The killing was related to matters of honour.
The ninth suspect, 31, accused of being an accessory after the fact, is said to be the owner of the vehicle that was used after the crime was committed.
