ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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7 days In July 2012, local authorities arrested the Swedish citizen Hossam Yaakoub, who was born Lebanon in Limassol, South Cyprus. Yaakoub admitted that he was a member of the Shii Islamic militan group Hizbullah, who was appointed to control the activities of Israeli tourists in the island. The Israeli event condemned as a terrorist attack attempt.

Background
Hizbullah and Iran, Thailand, India, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kenya had mixed terrorist attacks and conspiracys for Israeli goals in the past months from the prosecution of the terror plan in Cyprus. In July 18, after ten days after the arrest of Yaakoub, five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian citizen lost his life in suicide attack held in Burgas of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian court accused Hizbullah for attack.

Arrest
7 days In July 2012, South Cyprus authorities arrested Hossam Yaakoub, a Swedish citizen born in Lebanon. Yaakoub admitted that after a number of inquiries, Hizbullah is a member.

Yaakoub came to Cyprus as tourists in July 5. Before being held, Israeli tourists followed their movements in the island. On July 6, Tel Aviv followed the arrival of Israeli tourists with Arkia Airlines aircraft from Larnaca International Airport. Hizbullah had appointed Yaakoub to watch charter flights from Israel to Cyprus since 2011. He recorded flight information and noted the registration numbers of the shuttle buses that passengers are riding. Among flights, the hotels with Israelis were observed. Surveillance data was included in the security presence and proximity to emergency services in hotels. He also photographed hotel entrances and parking lots. Yaakoub, police, "I was collecting information about them. This is what my organization did, in all over the world.

The information provided by Israel intelligence to South Cyprus and the knowledge that Yaakoub intended to regulate the attack led to arrest. The Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the incident as a terrorist attack attempt for the Israeli goal, which was held in the patronage of Iran.

Home
On March 21, 2013, a board consisting of three judges in South Cyprus, Yaakoub joined the "flying organization, planning crime processing, and found guilty from the five of eight accusations, including landing money. In March 28, the court stipulated Yaakoub for four years. The judges during Judgment said "No doubt that the citizens of Israel and the citizens of the republic are serious crimes that can potentially compromise their goals."

In parallel with the description of the bus bombing event in Burgas in July 2012, Yaakoub’s convictions increased pressure in the direction of the European Union to declare Hizbullah terrorist organization. The spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs Victoria Nuland, the condemnity of the Hizbullah agent in Cyprus "the European allies and other governments in the world