Appeals court denies bail despite witness retraction in torture case

On November 5, 2026, the Cyprus Court of Appeal upheld a decision by the Larnaca Criminal Court to keep a defendant in custody, ruling that a complainant’s subsequent decision to withdraw his complaint and refuse to testify does not justify the defendant's release. The court determined that the complainant's sworn statement does not invalidate existing evidence supporting the high probability of a conviction at this stage.

The defendant is one of several individuals involved in a broader case before the Larnaca Criminal Court, which involves a total of 20 charges. The specific charges against the defendant, related to an incident in Pyla, include unlawful confinement, torture, and inflicting serious bodily harm. According to the indictment, the victim was subjected to brutal violence, including having a pistol placed in his mouth, being threatened with a knife, and being struck with a belt and a Taser-like electrical device.

The court emphasized that the prosecution's case remains robust based on the initial evidentiary material collected before the complainant's retraction. The defendant will remain in detention as the legal proceedings for the 20 pending charges continue.