Filenews 17 October 2025
A deadly attack in Limassol, specifically on the Tsirio road, occurred shortly after 09:00. The victim is the businessman and president of Karmiotissa, Stavros Demosthenous.
Information from Filenews states that Demosthenous was shot on a nearby road from his home while he was riding in his car with his son. Specifically, his car was stopped by a van-type vehicle, while then a person on a motorcycle approached the businessman's vehicle and opened fire on him.
Immediately, his son tried to take him to the hospital. According to the same information, on the way to the hospital, a traffic accident occurred, as a result of which Demosthenes' vehicle was immobilized. The victim appears to have expired inside the vehicle.
It is also being investigated whether the burning vehicle on the highway near Germasogia is related to the case.
Members of the Police are at the scene of the crime, while the highway from the Agia Fylaxeos roundabout to the Troodos roundabout is closed.
Update -
It is worth noting that the vehicle that was earlier found on fire on the highway in the Germasogeia area is said to be the van-type vehicle that stopped the course of Demosthenes' vehicle.
Newer information states that after the accident, his son stopped a passing car and asked the citizen to take them to the hospital, which he did. The victim, however, expired.
The Cyprus Police has been put on red alert after the mafia execution of the well-known businessman and sports agent Stavros Demosthenous committed this morning in the area of Sfalagiotissa. All the services of ADE Limassol have been put on their feet.
It is noted that the motorway from the Agia Fylaxeos roundabout to the Troodos roundabout is closed.
Update Cyprus Mail
Demosthenous was well-known in football circles, as in addition to being chairman of Karmiotissa FC he had previously served as chairman of top tier Aris Limassol FC.
A few months ago, he was named surrounding discussion on the presidency of the Cyprus Football Association after the resignation of Giorgos Koumas, however he did not run for the post.
After Koumas resigned, Demosthenous was quoted as saying that the CFA needed a fundamental change and new faces.
Karmiotissa was scheduled to play Asil Lysi on Friday, however the game has been postponed.
Demosthenous also owned Democars, based in Limassol, selling used luxury cars.
According to the Democars website, the cars included Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Cadillac, Jeep, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Porshe and Rolls Royce.
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The 43-year-old, who had been arrested on suspicion of two criminal acts against the offices of a contracting company, owned by a 58-year-old businessman, who named him as a suspect, was released by the Limassol Police Department, without being charged.
Despite the fact that the eight-day detention order expired on Friday, the 43-year-old was released earlier, while the investigations and examinations of the Limassol Police Department continue.
Despite the businessman's complaint, according to the Police, no sufficient or satisfactory evidence has emerged so far against him.
After the eight-day detention order was issued by the District Court, the 43-year-old's lawyer appealed, arguing that the testimony submitted by the Police did not directly link his client to the offenses under investigation.
The case was examined today (16/10) at the Court of Appeal, where both sides spoke. The Court of Appeal ultimately upheld the decision of the court of first instance, maintaining the legality of the original decree.
Nevertheless, the TAE Limassol released the 43-year-old, but kept open the possibility of his re-arrest, depending on the progress of the investigations and the pending examinations.
It is recalled that in his testimony, the complaining businessman stated that he had received a loan of €400.000 from the 43-year-old in the period 2021-2022, with an agreed interest rate that would reach €1.000.000 by the end of 2023. The businessman claimed that he has repaid the initial principal of €400,000 and has paid an additional €200,000 as part of the interest. However, citing financial difficulties, he asked for an extension until the spring of 2024 to pay off the balance. According to him, the 43-year-old reacted strongly and demanded additional interest on the remaining amount of €800.000, which he refused to do. The complainant also claimed to have received information that the 43-year-old allegedly boasted that he had third parties shoot at his company's offices.
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The Police proceeded to arrest a 44-year-old woman, as part of the investigation of an arson case, which, according to the data under review, was committed last Tuesday, October 14, in Nicosia.
The arson was committed around 5.00 pm on Tuesday, when a pile of discarded objects was set on fire in the courtyard of a residence, in the area of John Kennedy Avenue, in Nicosia. The fire also spread to two cars, which were parked in an adjacent vehicle parking lot.
The fire was extinguished by members of the Fire Service, who with members of the Police carried out examinations at the scene, while during the investigation of the case, by the TAE Nicosia, evidence emerged against the 44-year-old.
The 44-year-old was located and arrested shortly after 1.00 pm today, Thursday, by members of the Ledra Police Substation, by virtue of a court warrant, issued on the basis of the evidence that emerged during the investigation of the case.
The TAE of Nicosia continues the examinations.
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BB police praised the quick thinking and courage of a child who used the international distress signal, which led to his father being sentenced to 25 months in Dhekelia prison in September.
According to information from Filenews, the father allegedly abused the mother for years and exercised psychological violence on his four children, two of whom are minors. The signal was made to the police by one of the minor children.
According to the facts of the case, the police received anonymous information that voices were heard from a house in the area of Dhekelia, but as soon as they arrived at the scene, the man's family remained silent.
According to police, the family, whose details have not been disclosed, appeared unwilling to cooperate before officers noticed that one of the four children began making facial expressions and gesturing to distress.
After recognizing the signals, the man was immediately arrested and taken into custody, according to Lieutenant Fanos Christodoulou.
Reflecting on the case this week and after a period of time given to the family to accept what happened, the Lieutenant said: "Obviously this was an extremely painful situation for the family, which could very easily have continued.
"It took a lot of bravery for the child to contact our officers and I am relieved that the police who were at the scene were able to recognize the distress signal with gestures and move the family to a safe place."
The international gesture distress signal is done by holding the hand up with the thumb folded inside the palm and then folding the four fingers down covering the thumb.
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The Attorney General gave the green light to the request of the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police, for the appointment of criminal investigators in relation to the incidents outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
AADIPA is appointing two criminal investigators who will examine citizens' complaints against police officers for the use of excessive force.
The incidents had erupted two weeks ago during a spontaneous protest outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs against the government's stance on the Gaza issue.
Police officers had asked citizens to leave the road and free the passage of vehicles, they refused, as a result of which they pushed them back to the sidewalk.
Citizens reported to the Police for the use of excessive force and the use of pepper spray, while the Police had claimed that they used the corresponding violence.
The two criminal investigators will be appointed from a list prepared by the Authority of trained lawyers.
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The Cyprus Court of Appeal unanimously upheld a decision of the Court of First Instance, on the basis of which the detention of a minor was ordered, until the date of his appearance before the Permanent Criminal Court, October 29, 2025. The minor is charged with conspiracy to commit a felony (arson) and theft, in relation to two vehicles.
In the same case, other defendants also face more serious charges such as conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, possession of weapons without a license, etc. The proceedings at the first instance stage were conducted behind closed doors, due to the fact that defendants 4 and 5 are minors.
The Court of First Instance, at the request of the prosecuting authority and following an objection by the defense, imposed detention on a total of five defendants. The detention for the minor was based on the risk of re-offending if not subjected to restriction.
The Court of First Instance argued that the juvenile defendant has other pending criminal cases, two in Paphos and one in Larnaca, related to delinquent offenses, such as carrying weapons, attempt, threats, etc.
One of these cases concerns similar offences to the present case, namely conspiracy, arson and possession of property without permission.
According to the Court, although the minor has not been previously convicted, the existence of such pending issues is a reasonable indication of a tendency or propensity to delve into behaviour, which can be repeated if no restraint is imposed.
The time left until the trial (about two weeks) was judged not to be excessive, which does not justify an unjustified delay or self-talk in the defense.
"We consider the judgment of the Court of First Instance to be correct that there is a risk of the appellant committing new offenses, which cannot be dealt with by any alternative measure other than his substantial confinement and detention. The Court of First Instance was also right to take into account the time until the trial, which we repeat is 29/10/2025 at 8:45, a period of time that cannot be considered excessive", the decision states.
The Court of Appeal considered that the above evidence is sufficient to establish a probability of a risk of committing new offenses, not with accurate testimony, but on the basis of all the circumstances.
In its decision, the Court of Appeal ruled that the detention of the minor as a last resort was legitimate and within the limits of the discretion of the Court of First Instance.
Issue of "child detention facility"
In the meantime, one of the main objections of the defense was that there is no nominally suitable juvenile detention facility as required by law, arguing that the Central Prison wing cannot be considered a "child detention facility" and that there is no evidence or testimonies of specially adapted conditions in it.
The Court of Appeal, however, accepted as a legal presumption the letter of the Prison Department, in which it is stated that there is a separate detention ward for young males (aged 16–21), that they are held separately from the other prisoners and that there is space available to accommodate these minors.
"We do not share the position of the appellant's counsel that the Central Prisons cannot, under any circumstances, be a place of detention for children, simply because the wing in which the minors are held is within the wider area of the Central Prison. What matters, and the essential purpose of the legislator, is to ensure that the place where children are detained ensures the exercise of their rights and is specially adapted for their detention. We have the position that the letter, Exhibit 6, confirms this," the Court of Appeal states.
The Court of Appeal ruled that even if the space is located within the prison area, the wing meets the specifications of a "child detention area", as long as it ensures the exercise of rights.
As noted in the decision, "Exhibit 6 (letter from the Prison Department), which is subsequent to Exhibit 5, declares the existence of a separate detention ward for male young prisoners aged 16 to 21, who are detained separately from the other prisoners, which ensures that this space is specifically adapted for the detention of minors and ensures the exercise of their rights", with the Court of Appeal rejecting the relevant recommendation of the appellant's lawyer regarding the interpretation of the term "child detention facility".
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in-cyprus
A new incident involving illegal activities in the buffer zone near Potamia village occurred late last night during a patrol by members of the Anti-Poaching Unit of the Rapid Response Unit (MMAD).
According to reliable information obtained by Filenews, the driver of a vehicle bearing Turkish Cypriot license plates, travelling from the occupied areas toward Republic-controlled territory, reacted upon noticing the presence of MMAD members.
A trusted source reported that the vehicle driver headed toward the MMAD patrol vehicle before retreating from the area and returning to the occupied territories.
This incident occurred in the same location where a serious confrontation took place last January which resulted in the death of a 24-year-old man from Pakistan.
At that time, the MMAD unit discovered illegal activities in the triangle of the villages Potamia-Dali-Louroujina.
During the January incident, when three cars were spotted by Anti-Poaching Unit members travelling from the occupied areas toward Potamia, drivers of two vehicles drove toward police officers. MMAD personnel used their service weapons during the confrontation, firing shots that resulted in the Pakistani man’s death.
As previously reported, the triangle of Potamia-Dali-Louroujina has become an operations centre for a known smuggler from the occupied areas due to the region’s geography and insufficient surveillance mechanisms.
This situation has persisted for years, and according to police records, there have been numerous cases where the physical safety of force members has been threatened.
