A report by the Cyprus Investigative Reporting Network (CiREN) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has revealed that Cypriot authorities took 13 years to execute a European Arrest Warrant against lawyer Christos Christodoulides, who was convicted of immigration fraud in the UK. Despite being under house arrest since 2022, Christodoulides continued practicing law. The Cyprus Bar Association had previously rejected a 2009 complaint but is now investigating him for unethical behavior.

Christodoulides, who owns ChrisLaw Advocate & Legal Consultants, fled to Cyprus in 2008 after escaping from a UK prison where he was serving time for forging over 600 visa applications between 2001 and 2004. The UK issued an arrest warrant in 2009, but Cypriot authorities ignored it for over a decade. In 2022, Christodoulides served just 15 months under house arrest and has since announced plans to expand his law firm to Limassol and Larnaca.

According to CiREN, the Cyprus Bar Association is now investigating Christodoulides for holding a law license while serving his sentence and failing to disclose his conviction. Possible penalties include disbarment or suspension. Despite multiple convictions, including immigration fraud and involvement in human trafficking, Christodoulides has faced minimal legal consequences in Cyprus. This lenient treatment has raised concerns about the integrity of Cyprus' justice system, especially in cases involving immigration fraud and human trafficking.

Read the full report.