Man who caused the blindness of a Cameroon student in north Cyprus and sentenced to 8 years in prison is being transferred to Turkey

A Turkish national who was sentenced to 8 years in prison by a north Cyprus court for causing the blindness of a Cameroon student will be transferred to Turkey on the approval of the TRNC Council of Ministers.

The decision regarding this matter was published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday December 18, 2023 .

The decision included the following statement:

"The Council of Ministers, in light of the points mentioned in the proposal, has approved the transfer of the Turkish national convict, Muhammed Tapınç, to the Republic of Turkey for the completion of the remainder of his sentence, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 22/1988 on Judicial Cooperation, Recognition and Enforcement, Extradition, and Transfer of Convicts between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Republic of Turkey."

Muhammed Tapınç was convicted of assaulting Boris Ndip Takang, a Cameroon national by punching him in the face during an argument in Lefkosia on August 15, 2022, which resulted in the victim's blindness.

On May 8, 2023, Tapınç was sentenced to 8 years in prison.