Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
July 18 2004

Third man held over woman’s murder
By Stefanos Evripidou

A 33-year-old Armenian man was remanded in custody for eight days
yesterday in connection with the murder of Lyudmila Zipir, 34, from
Ukraine, who was found dead in her apartment in Limassol last Sunday.

He is the third man to be arrested in connection with the case. The
33-year-old was arrested on Friday night after police had searched
his house for evidence. Various items have been sent for forensic
testing. According to reports, police found his fingerprints at the
scene of the crime. The same reports say he used to live in the same
block as Zipir and was on friendly relations with the other two
suspects. He has denied any involvement in the murder.

Zipir was found by police last Sunday after her employer had called
concerned at her failure to turn up for work. She had lived in Cyprus
for three years and worked in a bar in Limassol. Pathologist Panicos
Stavrianos said the girl’s bruised naked body was found on her bed in
a pool of blood.

Police first arrested two men who lived next door to Zipir the day
after the body was found. Armen Grigorian, 25 from Armenia, and
Dionysis Tokalides, 26 from Georgia, were remanded in court for eight
days on Monday.

Zipir’s employer told police the victim had repeatedly complained
that the two men used to harass her with sexual innuendoes. He had
even visited the men on several occasions to ask them to leave her
alone.

When police arrested the two suspects, they appeared to have
scratches on their bodies as well as streaks of blood. Blood was also
found in the apartment building.
Police noticed there had been no forced entry into the apartment via
the front door, but that the balcony door connecting the victim’s
apartment with that of the suspects was closed but not locked.

The two suspects deny any involvement in the murder, but cannot give
a clear story or confirm where they were at the time of the murder.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress