Police have issued four arrest warrants for foreign nationals in connection with the Potamia incident, where a 24-year-old Pakistani man was fatally shot by police.
Authorities are also searching for a rental vehicle believed by police to have been carrying the deceased at the time of the incident.
Case background
The incident occurred near the buffer zone near Potamia. Initial police reports indicated the shooting occurred while officers attempted to stop a vehicle believed to be involved in a smuggling operation. However, forensic findings suggesting the man was shot in the back have raised questions and contradicted the initial police account.
Moreover, an initial autopsy of the man’s body ruled out foul play. A second autopsy, performed a few days later, found a 9mm bullet lodged in the man’s back. State coroner Dr Nicolas Charalambous who performed the fist autopsy has been suspended.
The victim’s body was found in a car parking in Strovolos, around 20 km away from Potamia. Questions remain on how it ended up there.
An independent investigator has been appointed to lead a criminal probe into the incident, aiming to establish the full circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The killing has sparked outrage and condemnation by political parties and social groups about police’s handling of migration.
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