Three Syrian men accused of attempting to murder a 30-year-old compatriot in Kornos in January 2025 were acquitted of all charges by the Larnaca criminal court on Wednesday, after judges ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove their involvement beyond reasonable doubt.

The three men, aged 24, 25 and 27, had faced six charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, possession and transportation of a firearm, and possession and transportation of explosives. All three had pleaded not guilty.

The shooting occurred on the afternoon of January 9, 2025, when the 30-year-old victim was shot while sitting in his vehicle in Kornos.

He sustained gunshot wounds to his right hand and shoulder but managed to escape, subsequently seeking treatment at a private clinic in Limassol.

According to the case presented in court, the victim had travelled from Paphos to Kornos to meet an unidentified man who had contacted him through WhatsApp and expressed interest in purchasing his vehicle.

The attackers were travelling in a black BMW, which was subsequently found abandoned in Alethriko the following day.

In its judgement, the criminal court examined the circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution but concluded that it did not establish that any of the three defendants knew the attackers’ intentions or had acted as their accomplices.

The judges noted that, based on the prosecution’s original account, the evidence accepted by the court and its final findings, none of the three defendants had been travelling in the attackers’ vehicle.

The court further ruled that it was impossible to safely conclude that the defendants had assisted the perpetrators with the intention of murdering the victim. Despite the circumstantial evidence presented, reasonable doubt remained regarding their involvement in the attempted murder.

Particular attention was given to the third defendant, who owned the BMW allegedly used in the attack.

The court observed that the prosecution had not even attempted to establish that he had been at the crime scene or anywhere in the wider Kornos area on the day of the shooting.

Furthermore, no evidence linked him to the actual perpetrators, whose identities remain unknown.

Regarding the first defendant, the court considered evidence that his mobile phone had been discovered at the crime scene and that DNA evidence linked him to the device.

However, the judges concluded that this evidence was insufficient to establish that he had known the attackers’ intentions or collaborated with them.

In the case of the second defendant, the court examined evidence placing him in Kornos around the time of the shooting, alongside other circumstances connecting him to the area and the attackers’ vehicle.

Nevertheless, the judges found no reliable evidence demonstrating that he knew the perpetrators or had provided them with any assistance.

The court concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish the defendants’ participation in the attempted murder beyond reasonable doubt.

All three were consequently acquitted and discharged of every charge against them.

The judgement leaves the identities of the individuals responsible for the shooting unresolved.