Lefkoşa court remands Interpol-wanted Russian national in custody for 35 days

The Military Court in Lefkoşa ordered that a 43-year-old Russian national, wanted by Interpol in connection with the murder of Vangelis Zampounis in Athens, remain in custody for up to 35 days. The man was detained in Esentepe on 24 August 2026 following information received by the police.

At the hearing, the suspect was charged with four offences: violating a first-degree military forbidden zone, secretly entering it, leaving the territory of the TRNC without the permission of the authorised authorities, and illegally residing in the TRNC.

The police officer who gave evidence told the court that the man had been in Northern Cyprus without a residence permit since 31 July 2025 — 389 days in total.

According to the police, during questioning the detainee said that he had secretly entered the first-degree military forbidden zone in the area under the jurisdiction of Ercan Airport: he first used this route to leave the territory of the TRNC and cross into the Republic of Cyprus, and in July 2026 he returned to Northern Cyprus by the same route.

The police also said that the suspect had been brought before the court twice and that his detention had been extended by nine days; during that time, his statement was taken. According to the police officer, the part of the investigation that the detainee could have influenced had been completed, and he had no legal status in the country, so the investigation requested that he be remanded in custody.

Judge Gülay Uğur, having assessed the evidence, ordered that the suspect be held in prison for a period not exceeding 35 days.