The ombudswoman’s independent investigation into the death of 24-year-old Bangladeshi national Anisur Rahman has been put on hold, it emerged on Friday. Maria Stylianou Lottides told the Cyprus Mail last month her investigation will center around whether police followed due procedures and if any human rights were violated.
Rahman died on April 10, after a police raid on the Limassol apartment he was living in, crammed with a total of 11 people. He jumped off a fifth-floor balcony under circumstances which have been called into question.
Conflicting Investigations
Lottides told Reporter her request to police for the file was denied because it had been sent to the independent authority investigating police officers. This is because the latter is conducting its own investigation, following a complaint filed by Kisa NGO.
At the same time, questions abound over the fate of the ten other individuals who were detained following Rahman’s death. The Cyprus Mail was told they are “probably detained in Menoyia or in another location.” They were found to be living in Cyprus illegally and as such would be deported, however due to the fact that there is an investigation underway, they must remain in Cyprus for any possible witness testimony, a police spokesperson said.
Kisa challenged the police narrative that two officers were consensually admitted to the flat. The NGO’s chairman Doros Polykarpou said they had testimony claiming the door was broken down and five or six police officers barged in, handcuffing people as they woke from the fracas. According to Polykarpou, in a state of panic, Rahman jumped out of a window to escape. His autopsy showed he died from severe craniocerebral injury and his spine was severed due to a fall from a height.
Awaiting Further Developments
Lottides clarified the two investigations cannot be taking place at the same time. As such, when the other investigation is concluded, she will evaluate the findings and proceed accordingly.
Police spokesman Christos Andreou said no fault had been found with the landlord who rented out the apartment, as the Bangladeshi nationals “were legal when they signed the contract. It was afterwards that they became illegal, and he couldn’t know about it.” He denied the apartment was a dangerous building and said other tenants continue to live there. Andreou also said that the landlord has a right to rent out the apartment to as many people as he likes. He added a court case has been filed for an employer who had hired one of the 11 Bangladeshi nationals.
Rahman was repatriated to his native Bangladesh on April 30. His death sparked a wave of protests in Limassol and Nicosia, decrying the racism that many third-country nationals face in Cyprus.
