Cyprus Mail
July 13 2004
Two neighbours arrested in connection with woman’s murder
By Katya Diogenous
TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of murdering Lyudmila Zipir,
34 from Ukraine, who was found dead in her apartment in Limassol on
Sunday.
Zipir was found by police after her employer called concerned at her
failure to turn up for work on Saturday and Sunday.
Police yesterday arrested Armen Grigorian, 25 from Armenia, and
Dionysis Tokalides, 26 from Georgia, who lived next door to Zipir.
They were taken to court yesterday and given an eight-day remand.
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, believed to
belong to the victim. 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 suspects deny any involvement in the murder, but cannot give a
clear story or confirm where they were at the time of the murder.
Zipir 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. He confirmed her
death was criminal.