The Council of Ministers of Cyprus decided to cancel the passports of four Russians who fell under EU sanctions. This is reported by the local newspaper Politis and Reuters, citing their sources in the government.
The names of these Russians are not disclosed by Reuters interlocutors, but the agency indicates that they were issued “golden passports” under a scheme that provided for obtaining citizenship of the country for investments of at least €2 million. This program was terminated in November 2020 after a scandal caused by Al Jazeera investigation. In particular, it showed that even a convict can obtain citizenship of the republic if he has money.
According to the newspaper Politis, the passports of the relatives of these four will also be canceled, in total - 21 documents.
The Cypriot authorities decided to take away seven "golden passports" Society
From 2007 to 2020, Cyprus granted citizenship to 2,886 Russians, including investors and their families. In total, 6,779 people became citizens of the republic under the “golden passports” program, having invested at least €2 million ($2.18 million) in it, Reuters specifies.