Significant developments have occurred in two terrorism cases that have occupied both the Cypriot prosecuting authorities and foreign media.
One concerns the 42-year-old Azerbaijani, Orkhan Asadov, whose case was filed with the Nicosia Criminal Court in the autumn of 2021 and includes terrorism offences.
As “Phileleftheros” is informed, important developments have been noted, which may signal the curtain falling on a sensational case that was accompanied by testimonies claiming that the main defendant was planning the murder of five Israeli nationals residing in Cyprus.
The other development concerns a case filed against three Syrian family members. The 44-year-old B. T. was allegedly the treasurer of the Syrian jihadist organisation Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) in Cyprus.
Based on the indictment, he was collecting sums in Limassol and sending them to Idlib. The current leader of Syria, Al-Sharaa, also originates from the HTS (as it is abbreviated). This particular case is already considered closed for the Republic of Cyprus. This is because the 44-year-old, his wife, and his brother-in-law who were accused, are already in Syria.
The judicial proceedings for both cases were held behind closed doors for reasons of national and public security.
Regarding the first case, in a recent hearing of this unprecedented case, both the prosecuting authority and the defence of the 1st defendant, the Azerbaijani, Orkhan Asadov, stated before the three-member Criminal Court that an agreement is emerging between the two sides to modify the indictment.
The next hearing is scheduled within the coming days, and it is then that it will become clear if the two sides have reached a settlement.
If this scenario is confirmed, charges will be dropped, and the defendant will admit guilt to a number of other charges. The two sides will also agree on admitted facts, and the sentencing process will be initiated (Note: a report on Asadov’s personal circumstances, plea for mitigation). It is not clear whether there will be a change in data for the other defendants in the event of an agreement for Asadov’s case.
The latter has been detained as a person awaiting trial since September 2021, when he was arrested in the parking lot of the Nicosia swimming pool in Ayios Andreas. He has, therefore, completed four years as a detainee.
In the indictment of the case, which initially included other individuals, the remaining defendants, besides Asadov, are the 31-year-old Muzafar Abbas from Pakistan and the 30-year-old S. Hussein.
From the filing of the case in the autumn of 2021, which was initially covered journalistically by foreign media, until today, there have been many judicial incidents. The defence raised a number of preliminary objections, while after the start of the hearing, issues were raised that led to “trial within a trial” procedures. Currently, three out of the total 95 prosecution witnesses have testified.
The case was initially filed on November 5, 2021 with a total of six defendants, while the hearing began on July 6, 2023. Subsequently, two defendants were acquitted, as it was deemed that they did not have active participation, while a third person, a young Cypriot university student of Lebanese origin, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for three years and converted into a prosecution witness.
Around late September 2022, when one year had passed since the Azerbaijani’s arrest, the latter, through his lawyer Eustathios K. Efstathiou, had admitted to a large number of charges concerning forgery and possession of weaponry offences. The Azerbaijani denies the charges related to terrorism offences, conspiracy to commit murder of five Israeli nationals in Cyprus, and money laundering.
The other case against the 44-year-old B. T., his wife, and his brother-in-law, was closed at the end of last July, without this development being made public. In fact, the three defendants have already returned to Syria since August.
Their defence submitted a request to the Attorney General for suspension of criminal prosecution and their return to Syria. This was because their clients had previously stated that they wanted to return. This request was accepted once it was ensured that they would voluntarily leave our island.
According to a competent source, the Police Aliens and Immigration Service ensured that on August 3, 2025, the agreement for the voluntary return of the three individuals to their homeland was executed. The lawyer of the three Syrians, Alexandros Alexandrou, commented yesterday to “Phileleftheros” on the above development, stressing that he submitted a request for suspension of prosecution and return of his clients to Syria “on the basis that the testimonial evidence was weak.”
Forced Returns According to positions received by “Phileleftheros” for the purposes of this report, it is considered that the “forced returns” of Syrians convicted in criminal cases in European Union member states seem like a visible scenario. A case was pointed out to us of a Syrian in Austria, whose authorities, following a conviction, initiated proceedings for the revocation of supplementary protection and mandatory repatriation.
€712,000 in five months and links to Turkey
Regarding the case of the repatriated Syrians, we remind you that it emerged in October 2024, with the Cypriot prosecuting authorities believing they were facing a terrorist financing network. The case was centered on Idlib, Syria. Furthermore, a large sum of €712,000 was brought into the picture, which the network was allegedly managing over a period of five months. The case includes the names of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (formerly Al-Nusra Front), as well as Hezbollah, even though the two organizations have a history of conflict in Syria with each other.
The indictment included a double-digit number of charges, such as conspiracy to commit a felony, participation in a terrorist organization, providing support to a terrorist group, and money laundering. The Police then believed that the offences were committed between May 2024 and October 2024.
The 44-year-old was allegedly the mastermind of the network and the treasurer of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham in Cyprus. He was presented as having contacts with Turks and sending money to Idlib, Syria via the occupied territories using the Hawala method, which is widespread in Arab countries. This is a way of money transfer that leaves no traces in the banking system.
The evidence presented during pre-trial proceedings indicated that the position of a couple residing in Limassol, who were allegedly trafficking large sums, was compromised. The woman’s brother was presented as having active participation. Initially, eight individuals were detained for the case, however, eventually only the three people were charged: the 44-year-old main suspect, his 36-year-old wife, and the latter’s brother.
