A 45-year-old man was arrested at Larnaca Airport on Monday after his two children spent six months in Syria on what had begun as a short holiday in Saudi Arabia.
The children, aged 16 and 7, returned to Cyprus on Monday, where Hope For Children staff received them before handing them over to their mother. Their father appeared in court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody for three days pending investigation.
The estranged wife had appeared at Limassol District Court on November 28, 2025, where she signed a written consent allowing the suspect to travel with the children from December 21 to December 29, 2025.
Questioned at CID Limassol, the suspect said he travelled with the children to Saudi Arabia via Jordan on December 27, 2025, under a written authorisation signed by his estranged wife, with a planned return on December 29. He claimed he then decided to take them to Syria via Lebanon so they could see his home country and visit his house. Asked whether he had told the children’s mother of the change of plans, he said he had not, claiming he feared she would object and cause tension between them.
The suspect also claimed he injured his leg in a dispute with a cousin in Syria, leaving him unable to travel for around two months, he said.
The mother said that when the children were due to return, she was told the father had taken them to Syria instead of returning from Saudi Arabia, and that they were staying at a relative’s home.
While in Syria, the children kept in contact with their mother, asking her to take steps to bring them home and expressing fear about their father’s behaviour, she said.
The mother filed a complaint with CID Limassol in January 2026, after which a police officer contacted the suspect via an online application. When told the reason for the call, the suspect allegedly said he would return to Cyprus alone, as he planned to leave the children in Syria.