A spokesperson for Beny Steinmetz confirms that the mining tycoon was arrested in Cyprus on Thursday, but says he is expected to be freed soon.
The spokesman claims that the Romanian warrant that prompted his arrest has been repeatedly rejected by other countries or agencies due to concerns over whether the trial at which he was convicted in absentia was a fair one. These include Greece and Italy, which rejected a European arrest warrant, the spokesman says, and Interpol, which canceled its Red Notice for a similar reason.
“Beny Steinmetz welcomes the opportunity to be vindicated in one more European State, against Romania, a country infamous for its disrespect to human rights,” a statement reads.
The spokesman says Steinmetz is being held in a Larnaca police station. He denies the Greece-based businessman’s trip to the island is connected to a visit to Cyprus today by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
