The Permanent Criminal Court on Friday rejected a fourth attempt by a 54-year-old man accused of conspiring in 2026 to support Hamas to be released on conditions, ordering that he remain in custody.
The man, a Palestinian with Cypriot citizenship who has lived in Cyprus for four decades, is one of five defendants in the case. He is alleged to have received packages containing dangerous substances believed to have been intended for making explosives. Four of his children serve in the Republic’s security forces, in the National Guard and the police.
Challenging his detention on Wednesday, his lawyer cited the amendment of the charge sheet as a new element and, Phileleftheros understands, submitted a document naming the defendant as secretary of Fatah in Cyprus rather than a member of a Hamas network. The court, which reserved its decision until Friday, found among other things that no new element had emerged.
When he was first referred for trial, the 54-year-old was released on bail of 1 million euros, but the Court of Appeal overturned that decision and ordered his detention.
The allegations
Hamas allegedly assigned the five a specific mission related to terrorist attacks on Israeli interests in Cyprus. All are alleged to be members of a well-organised network that recruited Palestinians and trained them in Malaysia.
A 33-year-old defendant, who allegedly confessed, is expected to testify for the prosecution. For that reason, he will be tried separately, with his trial due to start before the Larnaca Permanent Criminal Court on 26 October. The 54-year-old and three other Palestinians, aged 32, 38 and 41, are due to enter their pleas on 4 November.
The 41-year-old is alleged to have headed the network in Cyprus, the 38-year-old to have been the bomb-maker and the 32-year-old to have organised the 33-year-old’s trips.
According to the 33-year-old’s alleged confession, the 41-year-old recruited him, and the 38-year-old, a physics teacher, rushed from Malaysia to Cyprus via the occupied north in May once enough materials had been gathered. The 38-year-old stayed at a house in Pentakomo. The 33-year-old has been linked to houses where equipment for making explosives was found.
