Man accused of inciting violence to remain in custody

The 47-year-old man facing charges for inciting violence will remain in custody until his sentence is handed down on Monday, a Paphos court decided on Friday.

During the hearing, prosecutor Spyros Chrysostomou said the man had on TV said he would turn Chlorakas upside down, if police did not put a stop to the violence unfolding in the village.

The 47-year-old, who is a Syrian national, had made those statements in a very emotional state, his defence lawyer Christos Demetriou said.

The backdrop of those statements was that Middle Eastern residents in Chlorakas village were directly targeted by extremists who began a demonstration against migrants, saying they should be kicked out.

Syrian shops were then targeted and smashed, with Middle Eastern people beaten in their homes. Residents at the time had expressed fear the thugs would ‘punish’ Cypriots who did not join their cause.

Amid the violence against the Middle Eastern community and police’s apparent failure to prevent or stop the violence, this sparked the 47-year-old man’s indignation, he later explained.

Demetriou added the man had apologised immediately.

If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail.