Appeals court orders detention of 54-year-old in terrorism case in Cyprus
A higher court in Larnaca overturned a decision to release a Palestinian defendant accused of terrorism and ordered his provisional detention.
Appeals court orders detention of 54-year-old in terrorism case in Cyprus
The Larnaca Appeals Court today overturned a decision by a lower court and ordered the pre-trial detention of a 54-year-old man of Palestinian origin, who faces terrorism charges alongside two other suspects.
The first-instance court had decided in mid-June to release the middle-aged man on restrictive conditions, including a bail of one million euros and mandatory reporting to a police station. The head of the prosecution appealed this decision, arguing that it was wrong both on the facts and on the law.
The appellate judges agreed with the prosecution's view. In their ruling, they stated that the evidence sufficiently links the suspect to the acts attributed to him, which justifies his detention. They also noted that these crimes are punishable by sentences of many years, including life imprisonment, and there is no evidence ruling out the risk of flight.
The 54-year-old, whose children work in the security services of the Republic of Cyprus, will remain in custody until early August, when he will appear before the Court of Assizes. The other two defendants, aged 33 and 38, have been detained since 12 June.
According to the case file, the three suspects are alleged to have acted on behalf of Hamas and to have planned an attack against Israeli interests on the island. The two younger men appear to have been the instigators of the plan, whilst the middle-aged man is alleged to have organised the transport of packages containing chemical precursor materials for the manufacture of explosives.
Source: PhileNews
Source: Philenews