Five Palestinian men arrested over an alleged plot to attack Israeli targets on Cypriot soil will be transferred to Larnaca Court today under heavy security, as authorities move to merge three separate cases against them into one.
The suspects, aged 32, 32, 38, 41 and 54, are expected to be referred again for trial before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca, in closed-door proceedings.
Three separate referral hearings had previously taken place because the men were arrested at different times. Today’s hearing is expected to suspend those three cases and file a single new referral, a procedural step to bring all five suspects under one indictment.
The five face serious charges including terrorism, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation.
As previously reported by philenews, the group includes a 41-year-old man alleged to be the mastermind of the network, who was arrested in Indonesia and extradited to Cyprus in July, and a 32-year-old Palestinian man whose arrest had not been publicly disclosed until philenews revealed it yesterday.
That man, who was living in Limassol, is alleged to have organised the travel of the first 32-year-old suspect, at whose properties investigators found materials and equipment for making explosives, and reportedly made a trip to Turkey alongside him.
According to the first suspect’s alleged confession, he travelled to a Hamas training camp in Malaysia and later to Istanbul, where he met a person who gave him instructions for the planned attacks in Cyprus.
The case first came to light on May 21, when the 32-year-old and a 38-year-old were arrested at a house near Pentakomo.
The first man had been living with his wife and child in Larnaca and is alleged to be linked to the Pentakomo property and an apartment in Kamares, Larnaca, where large quantities of hazardous substances and explosive-making equipment were found.
He allegedly confessed to being recruited by Hamas, receiving instructions to buy materials for explosives, and photographing targets in Cyprus. After he purchased a large volume of chemicals and equipment, the 38-year-old Palestinian, a physics teacher, entered Cyprus illegally from the occupied north, allegedly to build the explosive devices, according to the first suspect. The 38-year-old denies guilt.
The 54-year-old suspect, who holds Cypriot citizenship and has four children serving in the Republic’s security forces, was arrested next. He denies involvement and is alleged to have received packages containing hazardous substances. He was initially released on conditional bail, but the Court of Appeal overturned that decision and ordered his detention.
The 41-year-old alleged mastermind, arrested in Indonesia and deported to Cyprus, is reported to have initially lived in Malaysia, from where he gave instructions to the other network members.
A 37-year-old Palestinian man arrested in Crete, who allegedly belongs to the same network, is reported by Greek authorities to have been preparing terrorist attacks on Greek soil.
