53-year-old Lithuanian citizen Rasa Žilevičė disappeared after being released under restrictive conditions in France while awaiting extradition to Cyprus.
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The suspect was detained in France based on a European arrest warrant issued in Cyprus.
On Friday, organizational work was completed for Cypriot police officers to travel to France and escort her to Cyprus, when her appeal against the lower court’s decision approving her extradition was rejected.
According to the procedure, the suspect, who was released under certain conditions, was supposed to arrive at the French airport, where she would be handed over to Cypriot police officers and transported to Cyprus.
However, she did not appear.
French authorities informed the Cypriot police that the woman did not arrive, so the planned mission of the Cypriot police officers was canceled.
A new arrest warrant has now been issued, and she is being sought by the French police.
Rasa Žilevičė has commented on the situation in the 15min portal podcast “Valinskas žino”. You can watch the episode with her comment here:
A source told the publication “Politis” that when French authorities detain her, she will be handed over to Cyprus. In other words, until the transfer to Cyprus, she will remain in the custody of French authorities.
According to “Politis”, flights back for the Cypriot police escort team and the Lithuanian citizen had already been booked for late Friday evening. Preparations were also made for her appearance on Saturday at the Nicosia District Court, where a decision on detention was to be made.
Detained in Nice
R. Žilevičė, who worked for many years as a real estate agent in Cyprus, was detained in France on May 16 as a suspect in a case concerning real estate belonging to Greek Cypriots in the northern part of the island controlled by Turkey.
She was detained at Nice airport under a European arrest warrant issued by the Republic of Cyprus and filed a complaint against the execution of the warrant in early July.
A few days ago, a French court rejected her appeal against the initial extradition decision. This essentially paved the way for her transfer to Cyprus, where she would face charges and stand trial.
Court decision
In its decision, the French Court of Appeal emphasized that the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (TRNC) in the occupied territories is a serious violation of international law.
The court stated that there is therefore an obligation not to recognize this illegal situation and to refrain from any actions that would contribute to its maintenance.
Despite the suspect’s disappearance and the fact that her transfer to Cyprus did not take place, the events related to her are considered significant.
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The same French court had earlier rejected the Republic of Cyprus’s request to extradite an Iranian citizen in another case related to the alleged seizure of Greek Cypriot real estate in the Turkish-controlled part of the island.
R. Žilevičė: it was a surprise
15min podcast “VALINSKAS ŽINO” host A. Valinskas said he knows Rasa and heard her position on the case.
“She said this is not the first time such a show trial is being prepared, that she has to be returned to southern Cyprus, to the Greek part of Cyprus, and there she would practically be immediately imprisoned, and the courts there proceed very theatrically and slowly,” said A. Valinskas.
During the podcast, when calling Rasa herself, she said that the detention was a surprise to her.
“I was flying to the Cannes festival. <…> being detained by the police at the airport was unexpected for me, but when I heard it was from Cyprus, I remembered that there had already been two or three such cases related to real estate not only in southern but also northern Cyprus,” said the broker.
According to her, at that time the court date was set for June 4, and when on July 1 she received the appellate court decision confirming the extradition to Cyprus, she decided to go public.
“I understood that we need to speak loudly about Cyprus because two or three real estate agents have already been detained, and I will be the fourth or fifth. There may be more after me if we do not talk about it. To this day, a complaint has been filed with the Supreme Court, and we will wait for its decision – the consideration will take from two weeks to a month. I am positive,” she said then.
When asked what she is accused of, R. Žilevičė said she is accused of planning a large-scale crime, organizing it, and fraud by selling the wrong real estate.
“The charges are related to lands over which the conflict has been ongoing since 1974, and we have become involved in the struggle between southern and northern Cyprus,” said R. Žilevičė.
According to her, the assumption is that she intermediates and sells property that could possibly belong to Greek Cypriots.
However, she herself disagrees with such accusations. She emphasized that this is a political case.
