Jerusalem, 3 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — A complex legal case involving claims of organized criminal activity is unfolding in Cyprus.
The case involves 36-year-old Israeli national Daniel Yehonatan Zarvg, who is seeking international protection in Cyprus, claiming he is being maliciously persecuted by the authorities of Israel for crimes he says he did not commit.
Zarvg, also known as “Andros Gracia,” came to public attention last summer after using a forged Spanish travel document while staying in the Turkish-occupied north of the island. He was arrested there in August and handed over to the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus on 13 August. Israeli authorities are seeking him in connection with a deadly ambush on 24 March 2024, in which nine shots were fired at Shaul Peretz, resulting in the death of Peretz’s wife, Almog.
This week, Zarvg filed an appeal before the International Protection Court through his lawyer, Christos Gavrielides, challenging a 5 December decision by the Cypriot Asylum Service rejecting his asylum application. He claims he fled Israel because his life was in serious danger from criminal groups and alleges “systematic persecution by Israeli authorities, including degrading treatment,” which he says caused him severe health problems.
Zarvg is currently held in police-controlled detention in Cyprus. His lawyers have previously secured a certiorari ruling overturning his arrest warrant and are seeking his release and the termination of extradition proceedings, while the Cyprus Legal Service has filed an appeal against the decision.
Related Topics
