Supreme Court upholds decision to revoke Cyprus citizenship for Syrian businessman

The Supreme Constitutional Court of Cyprus has rejected an appeal by a Syrian businessman and his family against the government's decision to revoke their Cypriot citizenship. The businessman, a cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had been granted Cypriot citizenship in 2011, but it was revoked shortly after due to his alleged role in financing the Assad regime's violent suppression of protests during the Syrian civil war. The EU had imposed sanctions on him for his involvement.

Despite warnings from the Civil Registry about his questionable background, the Cypriot government initially granted citizenship based on the businessman’s substantial investments in Cyprus. However, following European sanctions, the government revoked his citizenship in 2013, a decision the family unsuccessfully challenged. The court upheld the decision, stating that the businessman’s actions were against Cyprus's moral values and interests. The family argued against the revocation on various grounds, but the court dismissed their appeal, awarding costs to the government.