Newsroom
Two men accused in connection with an alleged torture case in Pyla have pleaded not guilty before the Larnaca Permanent Criminal Court, with the trial set to continue in October.
The defendants, aged 48 and 27, appeared in court on Thursday and denied all charges. The next hearing has been scheduled for October 8, while investigators from the Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department (CID) continue efforts to identify other people who may have been involved.
At an earlier hearing, the 48-year-old unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that prosecutors had improperly filed two separate criminal cases against him. One concerns the alleged torture at a property in Pyla, while the other relates to incidents outside the Larnaca CID headquarters. He maintained that both matters should have been included in a single indictment.
The court rejected the application, ruling that it had been filed too early and that the circumstances did not justify ending the proceedings at this stage.
The 48-year-old faces charges including torture, unlawful deprivation of liberty with intent to expose a person to the risk of serious injury, causing grievous bodily harm, assault causing actual bodily harm, and demanding property through threats.
The 27-year-old is charged with unlawful deprivation of liberty, torture and assault.
According to the prosecution, the alleged torture offences were committed during the summer of 2025. The case is also linked to a violent confrontation involving gunfire in Larnaca on January 17.
Police say there are six alleged victims. They include three Cypriots, one of whom is currently outside Cyprus, an Indian national who is also abroad, an Arab national who remains in Cyprus, and a sixth person believed to be a European citizen whose identity has yet to be established. Investigators are continuing their enquiries.
