Presidential pardon for Charalambos Chrysanthou, also known as “Hamburger,” who was sentenced in July 2020 to 35 years in prison for two counts of attempted murder involving a total of five victims, was granted by Nikos Christodoulides, with the concurrence of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General.

One condition is that Chrysanthou—who, following his conviction, entered the Witness Protection Program—must leave Cyprus.

“A convicted person who has been placed in a witness protection program will leave and will not have the right to return. This is a common practice not only in Cyprus but also internationally. You choose the lesser of two evils.”
_{^{Yiannis Antoniou – Deputy Government Spokesperson}}

READ ALSO: Outrage over “Hamburger”’s release: What are the Legal Service’s explanations for the presidential pardon

“It is not an acquittal”

After the issue was brought to light by the Reporter website, the Legal Service issued a statement explaining the reasons behind the decision to grant a pardon, noting that it does not constitute an acquittal or a dismissal of criminal charges.

Regarding this specific case, it notes that the convicted individual joined the Witness Protection Program, with the aim of testifying as a prosecution witness in two serious cases of attempted murder against an individual who had already been sentenced to life imprisonment for five premeditated murders.

“When a witness testifies against individuals involved in serious criminal cases, it is not only the witness who is put at risk. Their family members are also put at risk, even though they bear no responsibility for the witness’s actions or for their decision to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. The State has a duty to protect these individuals and, by extension, society as a whole.”
_{^{Legal Service}}

SEE ALSO: “Choosing the lesser evil”: Antoniou explains how a presidential pardon was granted to “Hamburger”

Clarifying that any violation of the terms automatically triggers the imposed sentence.

The convictions

The first attempted murder case, for which Chrysanthou was convicted, was committed on the evening of November 27, 2019, in Larnaca, against Konstantinos Charalambous, also known as “Mavros.”

The second case involves an attempted murder against a businessman at a café in Ayia Napa on February 16, 2020, which resulted in the injury of four patrons.

The convicted man’s criminal record also includes two previous convictions, one for rape and one for drug-related offenses.

Watch the report by Rafaella Stavrinou: