Cyprus Court Sentences 22-Year-Old to Life for Murder of Bangladeshi Youth

A court in Cyprus on Tuesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing Mr. Shahriar Ahmed Emon, a 22 year old Bangladeshi citizen, last June. The court found him guilty of several crimes linked to this offence, including premeditated murder. According to the court, the convicted killer is also 22 years old.

He met Mr. Emon on a bus on 7 June, and they exchanged contact numbers. It is also known that they had an argument while travelling on the bus. On 9 June the killer bought a knife. On 11 June he contacted Mr. Emon and told him he had found a job that paid 50 euros a day.

According to Mr. Emon’s roommate, Mr. Emon had told him he was going to start a new job at a poultry farm in Kofinou village in Larnaca district. He did not give more details than this. Police said that on the same day Mr. Emon’s father received a text message that read, “Save me, or they will kill me.”

Ransom demand and brutal murder

A few minutes later, Mr. Emon’s father received more messages. They demanded a ransom of 35,000 euros by 14 June. The sender threatened to cut out Mr. Emon’s kidney and sell it if the money was not paid.

After getting the messages, Mr. Emon’s father quickly contacted his son’s roommates. He also replied to the sender and wrote that he was “trying to understand the situation” and would try to meet their demand. At the same time, he begged them not to harm his son. At 11:37 that night, the kidnapper sent another message and said Mr. Emon’s kidney would be cut out if at least 10,000 euros were not paid by 14 June. That was the last message Mr. Emon’s father received.

Under a government voluntary return programme, Mr. Emon was supposed to return to his home country on 16 June. But he was missing at Larnaca airport on the set day, and this made the suspicion stronger. Later the 22 year old accused was arrested. He then told police that he took Mr. Emon to a lonely area near the Kofinou slaughterhouse. There he first stabbed him with a knife and then strangled him.

After that, he dragged Mr. Emon’s body to another place and strangled him again to make sure he was dead. After the murder, he covered the body with straw, went home, and washed his hands and shoes. Later, based on the information given by the killer, police recovered Mr. Emon’s lifeless body from that place.