Cyprus Court’s Harsh Sentence on Illegal Development Sends a Warning Against Property Exploitation in Occupied Territories

In a decisive ruling with implications far beyond the Mediterranean island, a Cypriot court sentenced Israeli businessman Shimon Mistriel Aykout to five years in prison for illegally developing luxury apartment complexes on Greek Cypriot-owned land in the Turkish-backed breakaway north. This verdict underscores that unlawful profiteering from occupied territory is not tolerated—even when international enforcement is complicated by political stalemate. How Long Will Foreign Developers Ignore Sovereignty and Risk Criminal Charges? From 2014 to 2024, Aykout led the Afik Group of Companies, constructing over 400,000 square meters of property on land that legally belongs to displaced Greek Cypriots. Despite the...