The Limassol Assize Court has unanimously found all four defendants prima facie guilty in connection with the murder of Thanasis Kalogeropoulos, including on the charge of premeditated murder.
In its ruling, the Limassol Assize Court held that the prosecution had established a case capable of sustaining convictions, finding the defendants prima facie guilty on charges 1 to 10 and charge 12, as well as finding the third defendant prima facie guilty on charge 13.
The killing
Kalogeropoulos was killed on 30 October 2023 in a parking area along Limassol’s coastal road, in the Ayios Tychonas area.
Four individuals are on trial in connection with the case, aged 43, 46, 24 and 23, all of whom have been held in remand at Central Prisons since the outset of proceedings.
Evidence before the court
To date, the prosecution has called 75 witnesses, while 555 exhibits have been submitted to the court. These included:
-
Closed-circuit television footage
-
Telecommunications data
-
Mobile phone video recordings
-
Additional circumstantial testimony
The court said it relied on this body of circumstantial evidence in reaching its prima facie findings.
Following the ruling, the defence is expected to begin calling witnesses.
Charges faced by the defendants
The indictment is largely common to all four defendants and includes:
-
Conspiracy to commit murder
-
Premeditated murder
-
Possession, transport and use of Category A and B firearms
-
Possession, transport and use of explosives
-
Arson of a vehicle
-
Theft
The youngest defendant also faces an additional charge of aiding and abetting.
Defence stance: right to silence
Defence lawyers told the court that all four defendants will exercise their right to remain silent, choosing not to testify under oath or be cross-examined.
Each defence team is expected to summon witnesses in support of their client, with the total number of defence witnesses estimated at around ten. This will include a forensic expert, following court approval for funding related to expert testimony.
The expert evidence will focus on genetic material attributed to the first defendant, which was reportedly found on a cartridge case recovered from the crime scene.
After scheduling the sequence of defence witnesses, the court set the next hearing date for 24 February, while also fixing further hearing dates to continue the trial.