The inquest into the death of Shoaib Khan, a 24-year-old shot by police in the buffer zone more than 18 months ago, could be suspended until criminal proceedings against two drivers involved in the incident are concluded, campaigners for his family said in a statement.
The Attorney General is due to tell Nicosia District Court at the next hearing, on November 10, whether it will seek the suspension, the Justice for Shoaib Khan Initiative said. Its court monitoring team had been told that a hearing on September 16, expected to be the first at which witnesses would give evidence, had been postponed.
The family’s lawyers do not understand why the two cases are linked, the group said. Both drivers have been held in pre-trial detention for more than 18 months, and criminal proceedings against them have yet to begin.
According to the group, suspending the inquest could mean years of further delay and could affect whether the drivers and other witnesses are able to give evidence. It could also hamper any later investigation or proceedings concerning the police officers involved, the group said.
The group said Khan was shot in the back on January 6 near the village of Potamia, shortly after crossing into the government-controlled areas, while sitting behind the driver of a car taking him to Nicosia. His death was first recorded as due to natural causes, before a later post-mortem examination found a police bullet in his body, it said.
The inquest began only after sustained pressure from Khan’s family and supporters, the group said, and has faced repeated delays since, including one of about nine months because witness material had not been disclosed. His lawyers’ access to evidence had also been delayed, it said.
The group is calling for the inquest and the criminal case against the drivers to proceed in parallel, for all relevant witnesses and evidence to be examined without further unnecessary delay, and for the conduct of the police officers involved to be fully investigated.
In a message included in the statement, Khan’s family urged the authorities to speed up proceedings and asked for both cases to be heard at the same time. Justice was “the only hope that can, to some extent, ease the immense grief and suffering” of his parents and relatives, they said.
The group said the case should be seen against wider concerns about accountability for deaths and alleged abuses involving people on the move in Cyprus. It cited the deaths of Anisur Rahman and Christian Ndjondo, the March 2025 shipwreck and numerous allegations of pushbacks.
The statement was co-signed by Far Right Watch Cy, IWW – CyROC, afoa, NEDA Cyprus, Generation for Change CY, the Border Violence Monitoring Network, Mission Solidarity cy, Hade, the Alliance Against the Far Right, Fascism and Racism, KISA – Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism, Queer Collective Cy and Spirithkia.
