On his way to prison is the 37-year-old Palestinian, following the decision by the investigating judge and prosecutor to remand him in custodyremanded in custody in connection with the terrorism case currently under investigation by the authorities.
After a lengthy investigative process, the defendant failed to convince the judicial authorities with his claims, resulting in an order for his pretrial detention. The case, which came to light following a coordinated operation by the EYP and the Counter-Terrorism Unit, is directly linked to recent arrests of members of Hamas in Cyprus.
During his lengthy testimony, the 37-year-old made significant revelations, naming the individuals who approached him. However, he denied the charge of being an ideological leader, claiming that he was the victim of blackmail:
“They set me up; they told me to go work as an electrician in Malaysia for a good salary. There, they threatened me and trained me in explosives against my will,” he reportedly claimed, adding that he later backed out of the plan and returned part of the money he had been given.
For his part, defense attorney, Spyros Pantazis, spoke of “scapegoat” and a case file riddled with gaps and contradictions, emphasizing that his client’s personality is a far cry from that of a terrorist.
The charges facing the 37-year-old relate to felonies:
- Formation of and membership in a terrorist organization.
- Receiving specialized training in the manufacture and use of explosives for the purpose of carrying out terrorist attacks.
- Traveling abroad to attend such training.
- Providing criminal support to achieve terrorist objectives.
