Before Simon Aykut was even sent to Israel to serve the remainder of the five-year prison sentence imposed on him by a court of the Republic of Cyprus for usurping Greek Cypriot property, construction work resumed in the occupied territories.
The repetition of the illegality led MPs of the parliamentary Committee on Refugees as well as refugee organizations to demand that the decision not to transfer Aykut to Israel, where he comes from, be implemented for the remainder of his sentence.
Besides, the position was expressed that if he is finally sent to Israel, it must be ensured that he will not be released.
Mr. Nikos Kettiros, chairman of the Refugee Committee, before which the issue was discussed, referred to the objections of the various refugee committees for him to remain in Cyprus for the remainder of his sentence.
He also said that according to information (during the closed-door session of the Committee), as soon as it was announced that Aykut would be sent to Israel, construction work on Greek Cypriot properties resumed. He added that Aykut is building on a total of 40 Greek Cypriot properties.
MP Giorgos Penintaex also referred to the case of Behdad Xhafari, who illegally builds seven complexes on Greek Cypriot properties and stressed the need to take measures so that the case is not closed without justice being served.
DISY MP Mr. Nikos Georgiou stated that the cases of Simon Aykut and Behdad Jafari sound the alarm and cause intense concern. As he mentioned, the recent decision of the French Court in the case of the wanted Iranian usurper Behdad Jafari, who was acquitted and released by the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, is particularly worrying.
He further stated that, in combination with the development of the Aykut case and his transfer to Israel to serve the five-year sentence imposed on him, reasonable and relentless questions are raised:
-How is it ensured that the transfer of the convicted person will not in practice undermine the execution of the sentence imposed by the courts of the Republic of Cyprus?
-How is it ensured that he will not be released immediately after his transfer to his country?
-How is Mr. Aykut ensured that the wanted members of his family will not be in the occupied territories again to inspect the progress of the work of the usurpation of property and to provocatively enjoy the stolen goods?
Finally, Mr. Georgiou said:
The extradition of Mr. Aykut to Israel is, unfortunately, a conscious political decision and not individually of the Minister of Justice and the officials of his ministry.
