Israel approves transfer request of jailed property developer Aykut
Israeli property developer Simon Mistriel Aykut has formally requested to be transferred to Israel to serve the remainder of his five-year prison sentence imposed by a Cypriot court, with Israeli authorities approving the request and the matter now under examination by the justice ministry.
Aykut, 75, submitted the application to the Israeli authorities shortly after his conviction, and, according to sources speaking to the Cyprus Mail Justice Minister Costas Fitiris is currently engaged in official correspondence with his Israeli counterparts.
The minister is alleged to be seeking firm assurances that the sentence will be executed in full and not reduced if to be carried out in Israel.
As part of this process, the justice ministry has sought and received information on the relevant provisions of Israeli criminal law concerning offences linked to the acquisition and exploitation of immovable property.
The information provided indicates that custodial sentences for comparable offences do not materially differ from those imposed by Cypriot courts, a factor being taken into account in the ongoing assessment.
Aykut was sentenced on October 24, 2025, by the Nicosia criminal court to five years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to the most serious charge against him, fraudulently disposing of immovable property belonging to another.
The conviction followed his admission of guilt to 40 charges under a plea agreement, drawn from an original indictment of 242 counts that included fraudulent real estate transactions, possession of stolen land, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a crime.
The court heard that Aykut, through his company Afik Group, was involved for years in the development and commercial exploitation of large residential and tourist projects on land owned by displaced Greek Cypriots in the north, without the consent of the lawful owners.
Six major complexes were identified, covering nearly 395,000 square metres with a combined market value exceeding €36 million, and marketed to an international clientele.
Although Cyprus and Israel cooperate closely in areas such as defence, energy, health, science and migration, Israel is not included in Cyprus’ list of countries with which there is a standing bilateral agreement on the transfer of sentenced prisoners.
Any transfer would therefore be handled on a case-by-case basis, with particular emphasis on how the sentence would be enforced under the prison regime of the receiving state.
The prospect of Aykut serving his sentence abroad has triggered strong political reaction.
Ecologists’ leader Stavros Papadouris wrote to the attorney-general shortly after the sentencing, arguing that the five-year term was insufficient given the scale of the developments and the profits involved.
He questioned why financial crime charges were removed from the indictment and whether steps were being taken to secure extradition or ensure full accountability.
Further concerns were raised by Disy MP Nikos Georgiou, who sent a letter to Fitiris earlier this month seeking clarification on whether a transfer would undermine the supposed deterrent effect of the sentence, and whether civil compensation claims would be pursued against Aykut.
Aykut, who holds Israeli, Turkish and Portuguese citizenship, was arrested in June 2024 while attempting to cross at the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint and has remained in custody since.