An 18th-century icon of John the Baptist which was stolen by a British Royal Air Force pilot in 1974 is set to be returned to Cyprus.
The son of the pilot – who was serving in Cyprus at the time of the Turkish invasion – reached out to the authorities to facilitate the icon’s safe return, saying that it was “the right thing to do”.
The son, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and made no claims but set the precondition that no one benefits financially from the icon’s repatriation to its rightful owner, in this case, the Church of Cyprus.
It was handed over to a representative of the archbishop in Geneva last week and is due to arrive back in Cyprus in the coming days.