European Country to Investigate Murder of Pakistani Man in Police Shooting

Cyprus’ chief prosecutor has appointed an independent investigator to oversee a criminal probe into the death of a Pakistani man who was allegedly shot by police earlier this month.

Attorney General George L. Savvides announced the decision following a briefing from the chief of police on the ongoing investigation into the incident. In a statement, Savvides said Senior Counsel of the Republic, Ninos Kekkos, would lead the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

This development comes a day after authorities revealed that the Pakistani national had been fatally shot with a police service weapon. A postmortem examination uncovered a bullet wound on the right side of the man’s back, contradicting an earlier forensic analysis that had ruled out criminal circumstances.

The 24-year-old’s body was discovered in a field near the capital, Nicosia, on January 6, a national holiday. Days later, police disclosed an earlier incident in which officers had fired shots while attempting to intercept and arrest suspects, suggesting the death may be linked to that event.

Local news outlet Phileleftheros reported that three police officers are being questioned over the shooting, which occurred in a different location from where the body was found. According to police, shots were fired at the tires of a vehicle suspected of being involved in migrant smuggling near the Green Line, which divides the UN-recognized south from the Turkish-backed north of the island.

Irregular migrants often cross the Green Line from the Turkish Cypriot north into the more prosperous Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus. The health ministry has requested a detailed report from the police on the incident to review the findings of the forensic expert, Phileleftheros added.