During Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Cyprus, and four years after an affair that began in a similar way , Cypriot police arrested six young Israeli men ages 19 and 20 on suspicion of raping a 20-year-old British woman in a hotel in Ayia Napa.
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According to reports in Cyprus, the young British woman, who is on vacation on the island, filed a complaint with police in the city of Famagusta on Sunday afternoon. The Israelis were arrested as a result of the complaint on Sunday at almost the same time as Netanyahu's arrival in Cyprus, his first political visit abroad in five months. They will be brought to court sometime on Monday to extend their detention.
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Cypriot police arrested six young Israeli men ages 19 and 20 on suspicion of raping a 20-year-old British woman in a hotel in Ayia Napa
(Photo: Shutterstock)
"On Monday morning, the Israeli embassy in Cyprus was notified of the arrest of six Israeli citizens suspected of raping a British tourist. The Israeli consul in Cyprus is in contact with the authorities in Cyprus. The department for Israelis abroad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in contact with the families of the arrested citizens," according to the Foreign Affairs ministry.
About four years ago, 12 Israelis were arrested in Cyprus, also in Ayia Napa, on suspicion of raping a young British woman. She was later convicted after it was alleged that she had given false testimony, and about two years later her conviction was overturned.
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The arrests came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis, began an official visit to Cyp
(Photo: Reuters/Yiannis Kourtoglou)
The woman, who was 19 at the time, told the police that she was raped by 12 Israeli boys and young men, but later retracted her statement, even before meeting with a lawyer. She was put on trial and convicted of harming the public, and her conviction was by the Cyprus Supreme Court in January 2022. The case led to outrage, and women's organizations - including from Israel - protested against her.