There is no evidence
The Cyprus Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has decided to release two Russian nationals who were detained on the island on suspicion of plotting to assassinate an unnamed Russian journalist. The development follows an assessment that law enforcement did not gather enough evidence to prove that an assassination plot was being prepared. One detainee, a 62-year-old man who had been living in Paphos for many years, will be released from custody. The other individual, a 56-year-old man, will be deported back to his home country after arriving on the island only days before the arrest. Prosecutors characterized the first as the person who recruited the operation and the second as the executor of any potential plan.
expose the journalist
The Russian journalist at the center of the alleged plot has been residing in Paphos for several years. Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini reports that the journalist had a political dispute with the 62-year-old Russian resident in Paphos, whom investigators later identified as the alleged mastermind behind the alleged assassination attempt.
According to the Cypriot newspaper, the journalist publicly voiced anti-Russian positions. An AlphaNews report described the alleged plan to assassinate as politically charged, citing information from local officials. The prosecutors noted financial tensions as part of the broader narrative, with the suspects indicating in statements that they wished to reveal the journalist over a serious matter.
classify the case
Investigators indicate that the 62-year-old Russian enlisted the help of a 56-year-old associate to carry out the killing. The second man arrived in Cyprus and lodged in a Limassol hotel as the inquiry unfolded. Local papers reported the arrests occurring on the night of May 18, with detentions extending through May 19. Police had detained the suspected organizer in his home and the alleged partner in a hotel room on successive days, each accused of conspiring to commit murder. A diplomat from the Russian embassy in Nicosia stated to a news agency that there was no information about any release of the detainees at that time, and that no applicants had sought consular assistance from the embassy. Officials in Cyprus reportedly attempted to shield the incident from broad public exposure as the investigation continued.