Court of Appeal Upholds Refusal to Execute EAW Against Wanted Man

The Court of Appeal dismissed the Attorney General's appeal and upheld the initial decision rejecting a request for the execution of a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) against a man wanted by German authorities for serious tax evasion offenses. The suspect is accused of tax evasion amounting to €1,796,689.12 and involvement in a fraud scheme that caused €12,736,196.74 in damages to the German public treasury. The case began with the issuance of the EAW in August 2025 and the suspect's arrest in September 2025. The Limassol District Court initially ordered the execution of the EAW, but this decision was appealed, and after a retrial, the appeal was filed by the Attorney General. The Court of Appeal ruled that there was serious and prolonged uncertainty regarding the appointment and operation of a lawyer in Germany for the suspect. This lack deprived him of the practical possibility of timely collection and transmission of information to present his arguments during the execution hearing. The Court emphasized the time elapsed between the arrest and the information about the lawyer's appointment, which exceeds a reasonable period and substantially affects the suspect's right to legal representation. The decision highlights the importance of the 'dual representation' mechanism provided for in European law and the need for its effective operation.