France has definitively refused the extradition of Behdad Jafari

The French Supreme Court has definitively rejected the extradition of 39-year-old entrepreneur Behdad Jafari at the request of the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus. The decision has entered into legal force and is not subject to appeal.

Earlier, Jafari was detained at Nice Airport after arriving on a flight from Istanbul. The arrest was carried out on the basis of a warrant issued by Nicosia. He was suspected of involvement in the development of land plots in northern Cyprus which, according to the Cypriot authorities, belonged to Greek Cypriots before 1974.

The case is linked to the construction company Isatis, founded by Jafari in 2015 and operating in the Famagusta region — including Ayios Sergios, Trikomo and Akanthou. At the same time, it has not been officially confirmed whether construction was carried out specifically on disputed land.

It is known that Jafari is a native of Iran who obtained a passport of the unrecognized TRNC in May 2023. Later, he obtained a French visa with the right of multiple entry through the French embassy in Ankara.

The head of the Contractors Association, Jafer Gürcafer, stated that up to 85% of land in northern Cyprus carries legal risks and accused the TRNC authorities of failing to provide effective international protection for entrepreneurs.

He also compared the situation with the case of Israeli businessman Shimon Aikut, who had previously admitted guilt on dozens of charges related to the sale of Greek Cypriot property. According to Gürcafer, such defendants “are left without support.”

The Jafari case has become part of a series of international investigations related to the use or development of property owned by Greek Cypriots before 1974. In recent years, citizens of Hungary and Germany have been convicted in similar cases.