The United Kingdom has requested that the Republic of Cyprus extradite a 45-year-old remand prisoner to face trial for espionage offences directed against Britain.
The suspect, Rashad Sultanov, holds a British passport and is already facing related charges before the Limassol Assize Court. The Cyprus Police arrested Sultanov last summer following allegations that he photographed military installations inside the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Areas.
The Legal Service of the Republic was informed of the British extradition request last week. A scheduled hearing for the 45-year-old’s case was set before the Limassol Assize Court last Tuesday. However, based on the extradition application, the prosecution representative requested an adjournment to clarify the matter. The three-member judicial panel granted the postponement and scheduled a new court date.
The British authorities issued a post-Brexit arrest and extradition warrant under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which allows the United Kingdom to approach European Union member states on judicial cooperation matters. The Cypriot Ministry of Justice is currently awaiting the necessary supporting documentation from British authorities to justify the warrant.
The British request stems from allegations that Sultanov committed offences within areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Akrotiri bases, with British authorities maintaining that espionage was carried out on British territory against their national interests. This development comes at a time when the status of the bases and their involvement in Middle East military operations is occupying the Cypriot government, a situation recently covered in a Politico report on May 31, 2026.
British authorities have shown an intense interest in the case since Sultanov’s arrest on June 21, 2025, which drew journalists from England shortly after the capture. In November 2025, the United Kingdom approached the Republic of Cyprus through Eurojust to request the creation of a Joint Investigation Team to further examine the case, underscoring the deep involvement of British intelligence services.
Cypriot authorities have received classified information indicating that Sultanov was operating on behalf of an Azerbaijani-Iranian national, Elshad Elchin Hajiyev, who is suspected of being the mastermind behind an intelligence-gathering ring operating for Iran. Investigators believe Hajiyev recruited several agents, including Sultanov.
Information secured by the Cyprus Police also links Hajiyev to a couple arrested in Cyprus on February 26, 2026. The individuals, a 28-year-old Azerbaijani man and a 27-year-old Estonian woman, were suspected of photographing locations of Israeli interest in Paphos. Classified intelligence suggested Hajiyev acted as their handler and arranged their travel to Cyprus.
International reports reveal that Hajiyev’s name gained public prominence in late 2022 when Azerbaijan’s State Security Service exposed a network of Azerbaijani citizens recruited by Iranian intelligence. An official announcement issued by Azerbaijan in November 2022 stated that its State Security Service was investigating the covert involvement of citizens in foreign military exercises and their funding by Iranian special services.
The Azerbaijani statement identified Hajiyev, also known as Akram Hajizade, alongside Tohid Alim oglu Ibrahimbayli, Rovshan Elchin oglu Asadov, and Orkhan Kamran oglu Mammadov, as leaders of an illegal armed group formed under Iranian control. These individuals were placed on an international wanted list and are believed to be hiding in Iran.
On May 31, 2026, Sultanov filed an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) through his defence lawyer, Efstathios Efstathiou, arguing that his detention in the Nicosia Central Prison is unlawful and violates the European Convention on Human Rights.
The defence notes that during initial detention hearings, Cyprus Police stated they had secured classified data from a foreign intelligence agency linking the suspect to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), alleging he held details on Cypriot military installations and planned a terrorist attack.
Sultanov maintains that this source intelligence was never disclosed to him or the court, its origin was not verified, and no evidence was submitted to prove the legality of its collection, processing, and transfer.
Sultanov faces a number of terrorism offences. He is alleged to have used specialised equipment to photograph the British Akrotiri bases, where the Royal Air Force is stationed, as well as the Andreas Papandreou Air Base. Investigators state he transmitted encrypted files containing these photographs to a liaison who may be connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
