Filenews 27 July 2026
Twelve arrests were made by the Police as part of targeted preventive operations.
As a result of the preventive policing operations, twelve persons were arrested for various offenses, such as, among others, theft, illegal entry into property, illegal possession of property, illegal possession of drugs, as well as for illegal stay on the territory of the Republic.
As part of these operations, during the night, 583 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 822 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 69 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, from which eleven complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 316 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while twelve investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged. As part of the police examinations, ten vehicles were detained.
Of the complaints made about traffic violations, 115 complaints concerned exceeding the speed limit and ten complaints related to driving under the influence of alcohol.
A case of driving under the influence of drugs also emerged, after a preliminary drug test. For driving under the influence of alcohol, 151 checks were carried out on vehicle drivers, while for driving under the influence of drugs a driver check was carried out.
Policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue every day, with an enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, in order to protect citizens and ensure public order.
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No findings were found that refer to sexual abuse, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement, in relation to a report by a 21-year-old prisoner in the Central Prison for a possible incident of sexual abuse.
According to the Ministry, as soon as the relevant report became known to the Central Prison Directorate, the relevant protocol was activated and all the prescribed procedures began without delay.
As reported, in this context, a medical examiner was called, who went to the Central Prison and examined the prisoner. "From the forensic examination, no findings were found that refer to sexual abuse," it is noted.
It is added that at the same time, the TAE of Nicosia was immediately informed and a team of investigators went to the Central Prison, where they had contact with the prisoner and proceeded with the necessary actions, with him stating that he wishes to discuss the matter with his lawyer beforehand, before deciding whether to make a formal complaint.
It is added that from the first moment, all the necessary measures were taken to protect the detainee and the safe management of the incident, with particular attention to protecting him as a potential victim.
"There was no attempt to silence or cover up the case. The Central Prison Directorate followed the prescribed procedures, immediately informed the competent authorities and proceeded with all the necessary actions, with priority given to the protection of the prisoner and the full investigation of his report", the announcement concludes.
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The Police made a third arrest in relation to the incident that took place on Saturday night in Limassol, during which a 21-year-old man was injured.
According to the latest information, another person, aged 26, was arrested, who, based on testimony, was allegedly involved in the quarrel between Syrians.
Under interrogation, the 26-year-old allegedly placed himself at the scene, making various allegations.
In relation to the reason for the incident, according to the Police, it seems to be personal differences between two different families.
It is recalled that, for the same case, the Police proceeded on Saturday to arrest two persons, one of whom is a minor. The two are suspected of injuring a 21-year-old compatriot after a fight.
According to the initial police information, shortly before midnight, members of the Police were informed about a fight between foreign persons on Vasileos Konstantinou Street, near the Tsirio Stadium.
Police officers who went to the area found one person injured. It was a 21-year-old man, who had a wound to the back from a sharp object, possibly a knife. He was taken to the hospital, where he was sutured and hospitalized.
As part of the examinations, members of the Police patrolling the wider area identified two persons, one of whom was holding a metal chain and was arrested for the self-inflicted crime of possession of an offensive instrument.
Both persons did not have any documents in their possession and were arrested for the purpose of verifying their details. Subsequently, it was found that he is a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old.
The two were brought before the Court in the morning on suspicion of injuring their compatriot and other offenses, with the Court ordering their eight-day detention to facilitate police investigations.
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The trial before the Paphos Criminal Court for the suspended Mayor of Paphos, Phaedon Phaedonos, for the case of rape reported by a woman, begins today on the merits, after three trials of a procedural nature. In the previous hearing, on the 16th of this year, the court announced its decision for a closed-door procedure, in order to protect the complainant.
Mr. Phaedonos denied all five charges attributed to him for the alleged rape and after that, the Criminal Court set today as the day of the start of the trial which will continue daily until July 31.
The five charges against Mr. Phaedonos and for which he replied that he did not admit, concern the offenses of rape, indecent assault (2 charges), roaming in a state of narcosis for the purpose of committing a felony or misdemeanor and assault causing actual bodily harm.
The Criminal Court has been sitting since the previous hearing under its new composition, after the self-exclusion of Judge Nikodimos Fakontis at the session, on May 28, due to family involvement in cases concerning the accused.
District Judge Maria Socratous was appointed as a new member of the Criminal Court. The composition of the Criminal Court that is now hearing the case of Mr. Phaedonos is: Lia Markou, P.E.D., Theodoros Symeonidis, E.D. and Maria Socratous, E.D.
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A robbery at a kiosk in Limassol is being investigated by TAE Limassol, after an incident that took place around midnight on Paphos Street.
According to the Police, two persons wearing hoods entered a kiosk in Limassol and, after hitting the employee, managed to extort a small amount of money. Their loot amounts to €200.
The perpetrators fled, while the examinations to locate and arrest them continue by the Limassol Police Department.
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An attempt to destroy property is being investigated by the Police.
Around 01:15, information was received about explosions near the Limassol Municipal parking lot, on Georgiou Genadiou near Anexartisias Street.
The examinations revealed that two low-power paper cylindrical firecrackers were fired, which were placed on the façade of two stores, which are housed in a three-storey building.
According to our information, one store is not operating while the second houses a translation center.
The attacks caused minor damage.
The TAE Limassol continues the examinations.
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The Supreme Court ruled illegal to detain an asylum seeker from October 13, 2025, who had been declared by the competent authorities as "dangerous to the public security of the Republic" and ordered his release, approving the issuance of a privileged Habeas Corpus warrant, on July 17, 2026.
The applicant, a Sudanese national, had arrived illegally in the Republic and had submitted an application for international protection on 5 June 2025, which is still pending. According to the facts, as set out in the decision of the Supreme Court, on October 13, 2025, he was arrested and served with a letter, in which it is stated that he was declared dangerous to the public security of the Republic and that detention and deportation orders were issued against him.
On January 20, 2026, an email was sent by the Director of the Immigration Department to the Police, Aliens and Immigration Service, requesting information on the progress of the investigations and procedures regarding the Applicant. On the same day, an e-mail was sent by an Immigration Officer to the Asylum Service, requesting the acceleration of the examination of the Applicant's asylum application, due to the fact that he had been in detention since October. As noted, on the same day, the Applicant's detention was re-evaluated.
In a letter dated February 17, 2026 by a Police Officer on behalf of the Commander of the Aliens and Immigration Service to the Director of the Immigration Department, it was stated, among other things, that the applicant has been in detention since October, does not hold a passport and does not cooperate to depart, while there are no flights at this time, no new development and that it is "very urgent to deport".
On March 20, 2026, an email was sent to the Police, Aliens and Immigration Service with a reminder of the request dated. 20.1.2026 for information and on March 30, a new re-evaluation of the applicant's detention was made.
In a letter dated . 7 May 2026 Police Officer on behalf of the Commander of the Aliens and Immigration Service to the Director of the Immigration Department, there was a stagnation in returns until the examination of the requests by the Asylum Service and the Court (appeals against detention and deportation orders or against administrative decisions rejecting), as well as the examination of various written requests submitted by the foreigners personally or through their legal advisors, for the purpose of intervening for dismissal and securing a residence or work permit, while many of them do not hold travel documents and their deportation becomes more difficult.
It is further stated that the Aliens and Immigration Service is making efforts for their immediate repatriation, under adverse conditions. Finally, it is stated that there are also cases of non-cooperative and long-term detainees, where at the service level they have exhausted the margins to find solutions and it is stated that the administrative decisions (detention, deportation, release with or without conditions, extension of detention, etc.) taken under the current legislation should take into account the impasse created in the prospect of the return of foreigners.
On May 19, 2026, an email was sent to the Police, Aliens and Immigration Service and reference was made to the applicant's history, in a confidential letter from the Police dated. October 12, 2025 regarding him, in the requests for information to the Aliens and Immigration Service and that he is considered a "person dangerous to public order and security". It is also stated that, due to this letter, there is no room for the imposition of alternative measures to detention and therefore a recommendation is made for his detention, which in each re-evaluation is approved by the Director of the Department.
Although the legality of the detention order has not been challenged by the applicant, the duration of the detention is checked in the context of an application for a Habeas Corpus order.
As explained in the decision, by reference to relevant case law, the detention should have the shortest duration and last only for as long as the reason for detention is valid. Also, the control of the duration of detention is directly related and relates to the actual events that cover each case.
In a relevant decision, it is stated that "the non-violation of the legality of a detention order of an applicant for international protection and the fact that he cannot be deported while his application is pending, does not result in the applicant being detained beyond what is reasonable", while it is added that detention is unjustified and illegal as long as nothing is done to process the application.
In the present case, based on the summary of the confidential documents and the confidential documents presented to the Court (including the confidential letter of the Police 12.10.2025), it is stated that it appears that there was specific evidence in relation to the applicant's behavior and action, related to national security issues. It also appears that the reason why he was detained still existed. Nevertheless, the Court notes that the Applicant has never been deported and, pending the examination of his application for international protection, he cannot be deported.
During the period that the Applicant is in detention, the Immigration Department carried out three re-evaluations of his detention. For the purposes of each re-evaluation, the Department was contacted by the Police, to be informed about the progress of the investigations and procedures on its behalf regarding the Applicant. The Police responded, stating that the Appellant did not cooperate in departing and did not possess a passport, as well as that there were no flights during the period in question nor new developments and that it was "very urgent for the foreigner to be deported".
In each evaluation, the Department, taking into account all the facts before it, considered the possibility of imposing alternative measures to detention and concluded that there was no such margin and that his detention was necessary for the protection of national security and public order. Furthermore, as of 20.1.2026, the Department addressed the Asylum Service, requesting an acceleration of the examination of the Applicant's application.
As the Court notes, "it appears that from the date of issuance of the order of his detention there was no new development, nor any possibility of the Applicant's return to his country, as well as that there is no information from the Asylum Service or otherwise, as to the possible date of examination of the applicant's application, which was submitted on June 5, 2025''.
As the Supreme Court ruled, "the detention of the applicant is not justified on the sole basis that he is an asylum seeker. Nevertheless, he remains in detention for reasons of public security, awaiting the progress of his application without, at this stage, any reasonable prospect of examining his application and without any reasonable prospect of his deportation, even if it is rejected", considering that balancing the rights of the State and the applicant leads, in the circumstances of the present case, to: the issuance of the requested warrant.
"The application is considered well-founded, justified and approved. The requested Privileged Habeas Corpus Order is issued. The competent Authorities of the Republic of Cyprus to immediately release the Applicant", the Court ordered, awarding the costs of the application, plus VAT if it exists in favour of the applicant and against the Republic.
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The 36-year-old from Cameroon, who was arrested last March for the kidnapping of two women of African origin living in an apartment in Larnaca, whom he allegedly threatened with a knife, has pleaded not guilty. The accused had been referred to a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca and today he answered non-admission to the 11 charges he faces. The court set the start of the hearing of the case for October 12. Until then, the 36-year-old will remain in custody.
The 36-year-old faces eleven charges related to abduction/abduction of persons with the intention of restraining them, abduction/kidnapping with the intention of causing actual bodily harm, threat of violence, assault causing actual bodily harm, exercise of psychological violence, carrying a knife and illegal entry.
The unprecedented incident had caused a great disturbance in the area of Larnaca on the afternoon of March 25, after it unfolded in front of the eyes of dozens of residents. Specifically, the accused went out on the balcony with a knife and according to the testimonies he threatened the two women with it.
The Police were notified around 3:30 in the afternoon by a citizen and were alerted. First members of the Larnaca Police Station arrived on the scene and blocked the area, while negotiators from Nicosia were recruited, as well as members of the Special Anti-Terrorist Platoon. The perpetrator continued to shout and threaten the women, while at one point he allegedly put the knife to the neck of the woman, who was on the ground.
The negotiators convinced the perpetrator to release one woman, and then the other was rescued. They then handcuffed the 36-year-old. The two women had been transported with minor injuries and in a state of shock to the Larnaca Hospital and after receiving first aid they were discharged.
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The testimony of the 46-year-old, victim of the attempted murder in Limassol, is now in the hands of the investigators. Her testimony gives new evidence about what preceded the attack by her 55-year-old police officer's husband, who then ended his life while confirming that the couple had been facing serious financial problems lately.
According to her testimony, on Tuesday morning (30/6) her 55-year-old police husband was following her in his vehicle. At some point outside the school, he stopped his vehicle and forced her to immobilize hers. He then got into her car, with what followed culminating in the bloody incident, in which he shot her and then ended his life.
The 46-year-old also said that their relations had deteriorated significantly recently. Investigators are evaluating her testimony in combination with the rest of the evidence that has been gathered, while information indicates that the couple has been in constant tension in recent weeks, with frequent friction and disagreements.
The testimony of the 46-year-old is considered particularly important for the course of the investigations, while after the completion of the receipt of her testimony, the case file is expected to be forwarded to the Legal Service for further instructions.
As it is known, the police officer presented himself normally at his service, at the Coast Guard station in the marina of Agios Raphael. At 06:07 he was charged with his service weapon and a little later he informed his colleagues that he would leave temporarily, saying characteristically: "I'm going for five minutes and I'll be back." However, he never returned to his service, as the bloody incident unfolded shortly afterwards. It is noted that the 55-year-old was performing shift manager duties at the Coast Guard station.
