Israeli property developer Simon Aykut, who was sentenced to five years in prison for the usurpation of Greek Cypriot property in the north, has submitted a request to Justice Minister Constantinos Fitiris seeking his transfer to Israel, local media reported on Friday.
According to Philenews, Aykut’s request is currently under examination, with the minister consulting all relevant departments.
The 75-year-old was handed a five-year prison sentence in late October after pleading guilty to 40 of the 242 charges he faced, which included fraudulent real estate transactions, possession of stolen land, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Aykut holds Turkish, Israeli and Portuguese citizenship and suffers from a prostate condition, which had previously raised questions over whether he would serve his sentence in Cyprus or be transferred to one of his countries of citizenship.
He had claimed that his medical condition could not be adequately treated at Cyprus’ central prison, a position that was rejected by the court.
If transferred abroad, his sentence would be adjusted in accordance with the prison regulations of the receiving country.
Aykut was arrested in June 2024 while attempting to cross from the north at the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint and has remained in custody since then.
During his plea hearing, prosecution lawyer Andreas Aristides told the court that Aykut “was active in the occupied territories in the field of land development and real estate construction without having secured the consent of the legal Greek Cypriot owners”, adding that the case unfolded “in the context of the ongoing Turkish occupation of Cyprus”.
Aristides said Aykut “participated in the construction and commercial exploitation” of six tourist complexes through his company, Afik Group, in areas including Ayios Amvrosios, Trikomo, Gastria and Akanthou.
The developments were built on land belonging to displaced Greek Cypriots and later marketed to an international audience.
“No consent was given by the legal owners for any use of their properties,” Aristides said.
The complexes, covering a total area of 394,969 square metres, include Caesar Cliff, Caesar Resort, Caesar Beach, Caesar Blue, Caesar Breeze and Caesar Bay. Their combined market value exceeds €36 million, according to the prosecution.
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