Shimon Aykut, the 75-year-old convicted of usurping Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories, has been transferred to Israel, where he will serve the remainder of his sentence, following a decision by Justice Minister Costas Fytiris.
The transfer request was handled by Fytiris immediately after he took office, with efforts made to ensure all necessary procedures were followed. The decision on whether to approve such a transfer rests with the Justice Minister under standard procedure.
The move follows a protracted process. Israel had previously submitted a transfer request to the Republic of Cyprus, and Nicosia had agreed after securing assurances that Aykut would be taken into custody rather than released. All necessary documents were prepared, but Israel initially failed to take the final step, according to earlier Phileleftheros reporting.
The Nicosia Criminal Court had sentenced Aykut to five years imprisonment on each of 40 counts of usurpation he admitted to, relating to what the verdict described as “fraudulent transactions in immovable property belonging to another.” The sentences are concurrent, and pre-trial detention counts towards the sentence, which is deemed to have begun on June 19, 2024.
The offences were committed over 10 years and 5 months and involved 40 plots of land with a combined value of €38,948,000 and a total area of 394,969 square metres, according to the verdict.
Once transferred, a convicted person serves their sentence under the rules applicable in the receiving state.
Read more: