Four men convicted of premeditated murder in Limassol killing of Thanasis Kalogeropoulos

Limassol, Cyprus. Four men were convicted on Friday by Limassol’s permanent criminal court of the premeditated murder of Thanasis Kalogeropoulos. The conviction carries a mandatory life sentence.

Court findings

The court ruled that the killing had been planned in advance and that the prosecution had established the guilt of all four defendants “beyond all reasonable doubt”.

The defendants, ranging in age from 23 to 46, faced a total of 11 charges. The court also convicted them on the other counts, including conspiracy to commit murder, offences involving the possession, transportation and use of firearms, and arson. However, the 24-year-old defendant was acquitted of an additional charge of aiding and abetting murder.

Fatal shooting and escape

Kalogeropoulos, aged 55, was heading for a morning swim when he was killed on October 30, 2023. The attack took place in a car park beside a beachfront restaurant on Limassol’s Amathus Avenue. A post-mortem examination established that he had sustained ten gunshot wounds.

According to police, two attackers fired at him from a vehicle at close range, with one using a pistol and the other a Kalashnikov. They subsequently burned the vehicle used for their escape and departed on a motorcycle.

Authorities knew Kalogeropoulos because of his previous involvement in organised crime.

Roles alleged by police

Police had identified the 24-year-old as the alleged organiser of the plot and another defendant as one of the two shooters.

They also said the oldest defendant owned the house in which the murder was planned, while the youngest drove the getaway vehicle.