Unrest in Paphos community following theft and assault (update 2)

The Paphos district court on Monday issued four-day detention orders today against a total of seven individuals apprehended by the police in the early hours of Sunday after a large group of men gathered outside the Kings Avenue Mall to reportedly settle scores after a theft and assault earlier over the weekend.

“Police examinations suggest that the seven individuals were heading to a specific location with the intention of locating other individuals and engaging in conflict with them,” Paphos police spokesperson Michalis Nicolaou said, adding that eight people were arrested on Sunday.

According to the police, a man who was owed €90 broke into the residence of the alleged debtor accompanied by two others, and assaulted him and his two roommates with weapons, including knives.

The three victims reported the incident to the police and were hospitalised, while one 21-year-old man, identified as a perpetrator, was arrested on Sunday.

Following this, a large group of around 30 men from the Syrian community gathered outside the mall to settle scores over the incident.

Meanwhile, in the early hours of Sunday, Paphos police arrested seven men connected to the incidents for illegal assembly and carrying weapons to incite terror.

The men, aged 19 to 36, were first arrested in a car for illegal possession of offensive instruments shortly after 2am near the mall.

New warrants were issued for them later on Sunday and they were re-arrested for conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, unlawful assembly and carrying weapons to incite terror.

According to police, the suspects were headed for the mall where the crowd had gathered.

Around 4pm on Saturday afternoon, police arrested the 21-year-old man for the burglary and assault which had sparked the unrest, allegedly carried out with two other perpetrators.

The three victims, aged 20, 23 and 25, had reported the assault to the police around 1am. They were transferred to Paphos general hospital where the 20-year-old was confirmed to have suffered a blow to the head, the 23-year-old facial bruising and cuts, and the 25-year-old bruising and traumatic injuries to his hand and torso.

Police are also still searching for a 27-year-old alleged assailant.