Nicosia, Cyprus – A fan has been arrested for launching marine flares during a soccer match, facing a serious charge of attempted murder, according to Cyprus’ justice minister, Marios Hartsiotis.

Hartsiotis informed the media that law enforcement will adopt a strict stance towards spectators who engage in violent behavior, particularly concerning the use of marine flares at sporting events. He expressed support for the new police leadership’s proactive methods in dealing with such incidents. “Some individuals simply refuse to change their ways… I want to emphasize that the police will take a rigid and uncompromising approach to these issues,” Hartsiotis asserted.

This statement came in the aftermath of an incident where a flare struck a motorcycle police officer who was escorting the Apollon Limassol team bus prior to their match against local rivals, AEL. The officer suffered minor burns on his hip and experienced some hearing damage due to the incident.

The soccer match itself, attended by around 5,000 spectators and monitored by 182 police personnel, proceeded without significant issues. However, chaos ensued later at the AEL basketball team’s indoor arena, where reports indicated that trophy stands were destroyed along with sports gear and uniforms, while other facilities were also marred by damage.

Following this, Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis initiated an internal investigation to ascertain if there had been any lapses in security measures, given that the arena was under police protection at the time of the destruction.

Authorities in Cyprus have consistently vowed to combat the ongoing violence linked to soccer, which has become an alarming trend in the nation. Hartsiotis announced that his ministry is working diligently to implement stricter laws aimed at addressing soccer-related violence and managing the disruptive conduct of fan clubs.