Appeals court doubles sentence for 26-year-old arsonist in Nicosia

The Court of Appeal in Cyprus has doubled the prison sentence of a 26-year-old man convicted of arson from one year to two years. The decision followed an appeal by the Attorney General, who argued that the original sentence handed down by the Nicosia District Court was manifestly inadequate. While the appellate judges agreed that the trial court failed to properly assess the severity of the offense and the dangerous circumstances surrounding it, they ultimately upheld the decision to keep the sentence suspended, citing the defendant's personal circumstances and genuine remorse.

The case stems from an incident on November 7, 2023, when the defendant deliberately set fire to a vehicle in a Nicosia parking lot. The motivation for the crime was jealousy, as the defendant had witnessed his girlfriend kissing the car's owner in August 2023. Upon seeing the man working at a restaurant months later, he retrieved a container of petrol from his apartment building's basement and proceeded to the parking area to torch the vehicle. Arson of a motor vehicle is a serious crime under Article 315(a) of the Criminal Code, carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.