One defendant pleads guilty in terrorism case

A 21-year-old medical student pleaded guilty to two charges in the alleged terrorism plot in which Israelis were to be assassinated in Cyprus, in a move suggesting he will be used as a prosecution witness.
The case, with six suspects in total so far, initially came to light in September when police arrested a 38-year-old Azeri man after he crossed from the Ledra Street checkpoint and was found to have a pistol with a suppressor and ammunition.

Israeli government officials have said that the planned assassination of Israeli businessmen in Cyprus was an Iranian plot. Six foreign nationals were arrested in connection with the case.

The sixth defendant, the 21-year-old student, appearing before Nicosia criminal court on Monday, pleaded guilty to two charges – working with suspects after a crime and knowledge of a terrorist attack without having alerted the authorities.

The suspect could have potentially faced up to five years in prison for the two charges but will now likely face a lighter penalty following his cooperation with the authorities.

The courts will now focus on 38-year-old Orhan Asadov, who is facing 38 charges, and 27-year-old Muzzafar Abbas, who is facing 16 charges.

Daily Politis reported that Asadov has claimed that he was paid 40,000 euros by a person of Arab origin to identify the intended Israeli targets. For his part, Abbas has claimed that he was recruited by a Syrian.

The 38-year-old was previously reported to have arrived from an airport in Russia and had been visiting the north almost daily. Authorities believe he had procured the weapon in the north, where it appears he was staying.

As for the 27-year-old Pakistani national, he was working as a delivery driver in Paphos and was identified by the authorities after texts linked him to the Azeri suspect.

The 27-year-old led the police to a second pistol buried in a plastic bag in a field near his residence.

The 21-year-old is alleged to have assisted Abbas who asked him to bring a bag of clothes after the arrested of the Azeri national was announced. The student also allegedly transported Abbas in his car.

Meanwhile, another weapon was found in the north in late October after a Greek Cypriot who was also staying at the same hotel as the Azeri happened to see the alleged hitman hiding something behind an air-conditioning unit, but seemingly thought nothing of it until news broke of the man’s arrest in the Republic.

The unidentified Greek Cypriot then searched the location at the hotel and discovered a Glock 9mm and two bullets wrapped in a nylon bag.

The next developments are expected on February 23 when the 21-year-old’s defence lawyer is to argue for a lenient sentence, given his client’s cooperation with the police.