A 39-year-old suspect told Nicosia court today that the man who was killed by police in the Potamia shooting incident was alive when being transported to a car park in Strovolos.
During a custody hearing, police investigators revealed that the victim, aged 24, was walking but appeared disoriented after the incident. The suspect stated the Pakistani man had complained of pain during the journey.
A post-mortem examination showed that the fatal bullet traversed the victim’s liver and heart before becoming lodged in his sternum.
Investigators disclosed that the victim had agreed to pay 500 euros for transport to government-controlled areas.
Police arrested the suspect in a basement, where he was found hiding with his daughter while covering her mouth to prevent her from making noise.
The district court ordered the suspect to be held in custody for eight days while investigations continue.
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.
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.
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.
In April 2024, Anisur Rahman, a young Bangladeshi worker jumped to his death in Limassol to escape a migrant raid by authorities.
The police killings of migrants come in the backdrop of multiple attacks against migrant delivery workers across Cyprus, raising concerns about increasing racism and intolerance in local society.
In August and September 2023, far-right groups organised repeated attacks against migrants and migrant-owned businesses in Paphos and Limassol.
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