Filenews 6 November 2025 - by Fanis Makridis
British prosecuting authorities have submitted an official request to the Republic of Cyprus for cooperation in the espionage case that arose on June 21 when a 44-year-old Azer, holder of a British passport, was arrested in Cyprus.
Cross-checked information from "F" states that the British, through the European Union Agency for Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (Eurojust), sent their positions in writing requesting the establishment of a Joint Investigation Team to further investigate the case.
This request, always according to information from our newspaper, has been forwarded to the Attorney General's office for examination, decision making and - possibly - launching procedures. Based on the same information, the relevant documents of the British have been forwarded to the Prosecutor's office at the end of last month.
The reasons
Although the exact reasons why the British want to further investigate the case together with Cypriot investigators have not been leaked, the circumstances of the case are enlightening in this case.
It is enough to record the following points that emerged through previous revealing reports of "F":
>> The 44-year-old British passport holder allegedly had special equipment and photographed the British bases of Akrotiri, where the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom is based.
>> He allegedly sent unknown files decrypted, with investigators' information stating that he sent the photos to another person who was his liaison and possibly related to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
>> According to information, at the same time that the 44-year-old was taken into custody, the British authorities were said to have arrested in England a person they believed was related to him. At the same time, British journalists had come to Cyprus to investigate the issue.
These data reveal the reasons for the increased interest of the British, since national security issues are raised since information was collected for their most important military installation in Cyprus.
The accusations
We remind you that a case has already been registered for the 44-year-old at the Limassol Criminal Court. Based on the indictment, he is charged with offenses related to espionage. More specifically: (1) espionage, (2) publication of news related to defense projects, (3) entry into a prohibited area and (4) money laundering. The accused allegedly used an advanced technology camera and his mobile phones. Through them, he allegedly received visual material from the British Akrotiri bases (RAF) and the "Andreas Papandreou" air base during the period when the air and missile strikes between Israel and Iran were in progress. In this case, the Azeri defendant was in possession of a Nikon Coolpix P1100 camera. It allows 125 times optical zoom and has high definition. Such cameras are used for espionage and surveillance purposes.
The suspect, as we had noted in a previous report, lived in Zakaki and in an area adjacent to the British RAF Bases in Limassol. The initial information received by the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus stated that he was moving suspiciously on foot in the area of the Bases carrying the camera with him. In addition, he had three mobile phones with him. As it emerged from his physical surveillance, he took photos with both the professional camera and his mobile phones. In addition, on June 20, the TAE Headquarters expressed the position in court proceedings that the accused had gone - from Limassol where he lived - to the "Andreas Papandreou" air base in Paphos changing two buses. He then rented a car from Paphos Airport. The accused had gone to the "Andreas Papandreou" base shortly after American transport planes and Marines allegedly arrived there (see Hellas Journal article).
