Spy case extradition hearing delayed again after Azerbaijani interpreter fails to appear

Local britainCrimeTop Newstrial Spy case extradition hearing delayed again after Azerbaijani interpreter fails to appear Azerbaijan Spy Suspect Relevant News Spy case extradition hearing delayed again after Azerbaijani interpreter fails to appear 6 August 2026 Teen arrested over suspected arson at historic Corner Pub in Nicosia 6 August 2026 Stelios Haji-Ioannou backs Apollo’s proposed takeover of easyJet 6 August 2026 Ioanna Mantzipa 6 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The extradition proceedings for a 45-year-old Azerbaijani man wanted by the United Kingdom on espionage-related charges has again been postponed after an Azerbaijani-language interpreter failed to appear. The hearing in Limassol again centred on the lack of interpretation into the man’s native language. The interpreter who attended the previous hearing did not appear, so proceedings were conducted with interpretation from English into Russian. The court set three hearing dates for next week. The defence also told the court it was still awaiting confirmation that a lawyer had been appointed in the United Kingdom, the state seeking the man’s extradition under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the European Union and the United Kingdom following the execution of the arrest warrant in Cyprus. Defence lawyer Efstathios Efstathiou said the necessary steps had been taken to secure legal aid from a solicitor in the United Kingdom who would be able to obtain access to the case file before the British court. He said a response was expected within 48 hours. Prosecutors said the court registry had tried to locate an Azerbaijani-language interpreter but had been unable to find one. The 45-year-old appeared in court wearing a T-shirt showing a map of Palestine. The back of the shirt featured an image of Palestinian activist Saber Al-Askar, who has been photographed during the weekly Great March of Return demonstrations in the Gaza Strip. After the hearing, he was returned to the Central Prisons, where he has been held on remand since June 2025. He has said he does not consent to his extradition to the United Kingdom, meaning the request will be examined through a full extradition hearing. According to the UK extradition request, British authorities are seeking his transfer to face prosecution on charges of assisting the intelligence service of a foreign state and entering a prohibited place with the intention of causing harm to the United Kingdom, contrary to the National Security Act 2023. The offences carry a maximum prison sentence of 14 years under UK law. According to British authorities, the 45-year-old, Rashad Sultanov, maintained a direct relationship with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Teen arrested over suspected arson at historic Corner Pub in Nicosia Stelios Haji-Ioannou backs Apollo’s proposed takeover of easyJet Teen found seriously injured beside e-bike in Limassol Overnight pharmacies on Thursday, August 6 Yellow heat warning issued for Cyprus as temperatures hit 40C on Friday Iran warns Gulf states: tell Trump to desist or we hit you hard Paphos steps up fire patrols after spate of blazes Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.