Filenews 19 December 2025
An attack with explosive devices - the first information suggests that they are firecrackers - against his house is denounced by the artist Giorgos Gabriel. According to what he reported on the Dialogos website, the attack took place while he, his wife, his children and grandchildren were inside the house. The complaint is also confirmed by the Police.
As he mentioned, the incident took place on Thursday afternoon and damage was caused to the balcony, fortunately without any injuries. Initially, two motorcycles were heard and explosions followed.
"I was downstairs when I heard the explosions. I was terrified and immediately ran to see if anything happened to anyone, fortunately everyone was fine. I have no words, it's terrible what is happening," said the painter. Members of the Police are conducting investigations at the scene.
According to Filenews' information so far, around 5.30 in the afternoon, a motorcyclist passed outside the painter's house in Kokkinotrimithia and threw two explosive devices in front of the main entrance. The explosion caused damage to the balcony of the house, fortunately without injuring anyone.
Gabriel himself informed the Police about the incident, since he was inside the house with his family. Members of the TAE Nicosia as well as pyrotechnicians as well as members of the Criminal Investigation Service rushed to the scene and are conducting investigations and examinations to locate evidence.
Tests are also being carried out to see whether there are closed circuits in the area. There is talk of two explosions that refer to firecrackers and not explosive devices and which fortunately were of low power.
Investigations are underway to determine exactly what caused the explosion and what explosive material was used.
It is recalled that the artist's works on religion stirred up a storm of reactions in the previous days and a strong polarization followed in Cypriot society. It all started with the reproduction of a collage by the deputy president of the Democratic Rally, Efthymios Diplaros, and his demand to cancel an exhibition of Giorgos Gabriel's works in Paphos. It then became clear that the collage was not the work of George Gabriel, but scattered paintings that were included in the photo in question that circulated on social media, in a specific way.
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The request of the Prosecuting Authority that the investigative testimony of the German accused in a case of usurpation of Greek Cypriot land in the occupied territories, with the removal of specific questions and answers and documents, be accepted as evidence in the main trial, was accepted on Thursday by the Nicosia Criminal Court, rejecting the objection of the defense that it is the result of the illegal investigations. The court also accepted as evidence in the main trial the statement she had made.
This is the decision of the second trial within a trial and the objection of the defense was based on the fact that the investigative testimony of the accused followed the investigation that took place after her arrest in July 2024 and which investigation was deemed illegal based on a previous decision of the Criminal Court in the first trial within a trial.
The Criminal Court, accepting the recommendation of the Prosecuting Authority, gave instructions to the Prosecuting Authority to delete specific questions and answers based on the presumptions that were deemed illegal by the court.
The President of the court, Nikolas Georgiadis, after reading the multi-page decision, asked the sides if they are ready to continue with the main trial, with Anna Mattheou on behalf of the Prosecution stating that time is needed to amend the testimony as indicated by the court.
The continuation of the proceedings in the main proceedings, taking into account the availability of a German-language interpreter, as well as the upcoming holidays, was set for Monday, January 5, 2026 and then on Wednesday and Friday, the 7th and 9th of the same month.
The defense lawyer, Sotiris Argyrou, objected to the continuation of the detention of his client until the next process, citing the conditions of detention in the Central Prison and the fact that she has been detained for 17 months. Mr. Argyrou said that there is no detention room for prisoners and the accused is being held with convicts, while in prisons every week there is a suicide or a suicide attempt.
Regarding the period of time she is in custody, she said that it is excessive and even if she has been convicted it may have been equal or a large part of the sentence that would have been imposed on her.
Anna Mattheou in her own statement said that there is nothing specific regarding the conditions of detention in prisons and this issue had previously been examined by the Criminal Court and had been rejected. Regarding the period of detention of the accused, he said that it is not excessive and does not go beyond the framework set by the relevant case law.
The President of the Criminal Court, after noting that the proceedings began before this court at the beginning of last March and two trials have been held within a trial with a number of witnesses in both cases, where some issues concerning the jurisdiction of the court, the taking of the presumptions, the conduct of the investigation and the investigative testimony as well as a statement by the accused herself were clarified, stated that the German will remain in custody until January 5, 2026, which is the next scheduled hearing.
He also noted that no specific issues were raised regarding the conditions of detention of the accused, the special conditions of the same, nor any testimony or presumption of violation of the article of the ECHR.
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Before the new Minister of Justice, Costas Fytiris, is a request from the admitted usurper of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories, Simon Mistriel Aykut, for his transfer to Israel. And this in order to serve the rest of his sentence there.
Cross-checked information of "F" states that the relevant request is already being handled by the new political head of the Ministry. A source of our newspaper noted that the new minister "tries to comply with all the necessary procedures" and that "he is in consultation" with other parts of the Republic.
However, based on the legal procedure, it is up to the respective minister how to act. This scenario had been recorded by "F" from the first day that a five-year prison sentence was imposed on the 75-year-old admittedly usurper of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories.
The issue was discussed in circles that know the facts about the case and had been raised in "F" in the form of information. As we wrote, the script had Aykut "preparing a request in order to serve his sentence in his country of origin" and especially Israel.
We noted that in case of verification of the scenario, the burden would fall on the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Cyprus, as it is at his discretion whether to give the final "OK".
In the event that a person sentenced to imprisonment is transferred to another country, then he or she is serving the sentence on the basis of the rules in force in that state.
The Permanent Criminal Court of Nicosia sentenced Aykut to five years in prison for each of the 40 charges of embezzlement he admitted, which relate to "fraudulent transactions in real estate belonging to another".
The penalties are concurrent. In fact, on the basis of the legislation, the time he was remanded in custody will be counted, i.e. he is considered to be serving his sentence from 19/06/2024. The offense, according to the verdict, took place over a period of 10 years and 5 months "and concerned, among other things, 40 pieces of land, with a total value of €38,948,000 and with the total area of these plots amounting to 394,969 sq.m.".
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Back in the Legal Service for decision-making, is the file of the case of rape of a prisoner in his cell last August. The case has several aspects, it was linked to the situation in the Central Prisons, while the prisoner's lawyer has already appealed to the European Court.
Information from "F" states that the Sub-Directorate for Vulnerable Persons of the Police, which took over the file in the second stage following the instructions of the Attorney General, proceeded to further examinations and investigations on the basis of the complaints of the lawyer of the prisoner. In addition to prisoners and staff members, the frame of possible responsibilities has been included, which is why the investigations covered the entire issue, both of the incident, as well as the reaction of the prison guards and the handling of the incident by the management.
Initially, the investigation of the case was undertaken by the Nicosia Police Department, which had received a complaint from a relative of the prisoner about his rape in prison. Until that moment there was no other complaint from him about the incident. The TAE began investigations and interrogations, took a statement from the victim, who in the meantime had been moved out of prison and had been visited by the Commissioner for Administration.
The investigation of the TAE Nicosia was completed and the file with specific suggestions was forwarded to the Legal Service around October for study and instructions. Then there were letters from the prisoner's lawyer for an alleged cover-up of the incident, while a video of the acts he was forced to perform by other convicts was also leaked. Then, the file with the instructions of the Prosecutor was given for further investigations to another department of the Police, namely the Sub-Directorate for the Management of Cases of Vulnerable Persons of the Police Headquarters. The actions that should have been taken for this case have been completed and the file was returned to the Legal Service for study.
The new investigations covered everything that the detainee's lawyer complains about, the possibility of liability from staff members, but also the complaint of a cover-up. Testimonies were taken from prison guards and closed circuits were examined, while the file also includes the video that was leaked on the internet.
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A coordinated operation was carried out last night (18/12) by the Police in a park in Limassol that resulted in the arrest of a minor for possession of drugs and knives. According to information from filenews, members of the Limassol OPE, following relevant information that young persons are trafficking drugs, went around 8 pm to a park in the area of Apostolos Andreas Harakis.
Specifically, patrols of the Limassol OPE rushed to the scene, which surrounded the area and proceeded to check the young persons. In the presence of the police, one of the bystanders threw an object on the ground, which was noticed by a member of the Force. It was a sock in which a quantity of drugs was found.
Subsequently, in a subsequent check, it was found that the person who threw the object was a minor, aged 17. In the possession of the young man, a small amount of drugs was found. Specifically, 13 grams, a precision electronic scale with traces of cannabis, two knives and an iron fist, which were in his bag.
The rest of the minors were checked, however nothing suspicious was found in their possession. The 17-year-old was arrested for flagrante delicto offenses and taken to the Limassol Police Department, where he was interrogated in the presence of his father and his lawyer. There he made a voluntary testimony, admitting to committing the offenses.
He was then charged in writing with illegal possession of drugs, carrying knives and possession of an offensive instrument and was released. In view of the holidays, the members of the Limassol Police Department will carry out daily checks in various parts of the city, frequented by young people, including minors.
