By Elizabeth Georgiou
The case of the mafia-style execution of Stavros Demosthenous on October 17 is finally coming into focus for Limassol CID investigators, who say they now have a complete picture of the men behind the killing. Their findings fully confirm our report from October 30, when the two 28-year-old Georgians were arrested in Thessaloniki by Greek police under European arrest warrants. Even then, information indicated that Cypriot authorities believed they already had the suspected gunman, a detail now backed by the court process and the investigation’s evidence.
The suspects’ movements
Investigators say the white van used in the hit carried two people: the driver and the shooter. The driver is believed to be a 31-year-old Georgian, and the shooter the 28-year-old A.Z. Along the escape route, from the murder scene to Germasogeia, a black motorcycle was waiting. At that point, A.Z. allegedly got out of the van and took control of the motorcycle, which was then seen following the van.
Both vehicles arrived shortly afterward in Germasogeia, where the suspects set the van on fire. They then fled toward Agios Tychonas on the motorcycle, but this time, investigators believe the 31-year-old was driving. During the escape, his cap fell off and was later found at the scene by police and matched to him through DNA.
When the suspects reached Agios Tychonas, they abandoned the motorcycle. There, a black SUV, allegedly driven by I.Z., cousin of the 28-year-old A.Z., was waiting. According to testimony, the SUV had been parked near the motorcycle’s location and drove off just one minute after it arrived.
Investigators say the SUV was located at I.Z.’s home in Limassol on October 22. The vehicle owner, his father, told police that only he and his son drive the car and that he had dropped his son off at the airport the previous day for a trip to Thessaloniki. That same day at Limassol CID, an investigator called I.Z. in his father’s presence. I.Z. allegedly admitted he had been in Agios Tychonas on October 17, claiming he was there to buy drugs, then abruptly hung up.
Given that only two people appear to have been inside the van, and based on the evidence connecting each suspect to specific movements, police attribute the role of gunman to the 28-year-old A.Z. Cypriot authorities believed as early as October 30 that he was the man who pulled the trigger, as we reported at the time.
The shooter, the driver, and the escape accomplice
The sequence of events, the white van’s arrival at the scene, the move to Germasogeia, the arson, the motorcycle escape, and its abandonment in Agios Tychonas, firmly ties the three Georgian suspects to crucial stages of the murder. Testimony, video evidence, and lab analyses place the two 28-year-olds and the 31-year-old in their respective roles: the shooter, the driver, and the accomplice responsible for facilitating their escape.
The case has been filed before the Criminal Court, with the charge sheet including not only the 31-year-old Georgian but also a 51-year-old man linked to the stolen Mitsubishi Colt where flammable fuel canisters and DNA traces were found; a 30-year-old who allegedly brokered the purchase of the motorcycle from a 44-year-old former footballer; and a 30-year-old inmate who allegedly issued instructions from prison regarding the escape vehicle. Still, the three Georgian suspects remain at the center of the case.
The trial is scheduled to begin on January 29, 2026, with defendants facing 17 charges, including premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to murder, arson, illegal possession and use of a firearm, and participation in a criminal organization.
As the investigation progresses, the remaining laboratory results are expected to serve as the final link that “locks in” the case. So far, the investigative material strongly supports our earlier reporting, confirming that the Thessaloniki arrests were pivotal and that authorities had the alleged shooter in their hands from the very beginning.
Recap
Demosthenous, a well-known football agent, was shot multiple times inside his car while driving on the Limassol highway on October 17. The killing triggered a sweeping investigation involving arson, stolen vehicles, DNA evidence, and cross-border arrests. Three Georgian nationals are now believed to have carried out the hit, while authorities continue to search for the person who ordered the murder and the motive behind it.
*Read the Greek version here.
