Clarification on Cyprus’ Stance in Russian Prosecution Requests
In a recent press conference, Cyprus’ Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis addressed inquiries regarding the island nation’s involvement in an ongoing investigation by Russia. Despite reports from Russia’s Tass news agency, Hartsiotis confirmed that the Cyprus justice ministry had not received any formal requests from Moscow’s prosecution office concerning their “potential involvement” in terror attacks within Russia.
“To be completely honest with you, we have not had any formal information over anything,” Hartsiotis stated, responding to a journalist’s question. This statement came after Tass disclosed that the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office had reached out to several countries, including the US, Germany, France, and Cyprus, seeking information related to terrorist activities targeting Russia.
The Russian news agency highlighted that lawmakers in Russia had presented “direct evidence against the masterminds, organisers and perpetrators of these crimes and those who have covered them up and financed them.” The prosecutors reportedly anticipate that the countries contacted will “earnestly consider the requests” made by Russia.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how these international requests will be addressed by the respective countries. However, as of Hartsiotis’ latest statement, Cyprus has yet to engage formally with the Russian authorities on this matter.
