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George Low was killed and Ben Barker (right) was stabbed in the attack
A man wanted over the murder of a British man holidaying in Cyprus has reportedly threatened a friend of the victim.
George Low, 22, from Dartford, Kent, was stabbed to death in the resort town of Ayia Napa in August 2016.
Ben Barker was also stabbed multiple times in the back, but survived.
The two suspects, Sali Ahmet and Mehmet Akpinar, fled the country and Mr Barker said one of them has been threatening him on social media.
Image source, Family handout
An inquest into the death of George Low revealed more about what happened the night he died
On Instagram the man who identified himself as Mr Akpinar threatened Mr Barker with violence and said “going to England won’t save you”.
Mr Barker said the shock of receiving the messages was “like being plunged into cold water”.
Mr Low’s parents also received messages from a man claiming to be Mr Akpinar.
“It was sickening,” Helen Low said.
She said: “What annoys me is that they can contact us with a press of a button, but we can do nothing to bring them to justice.”
Martyn and Helen Low say they will never give up the fight for justice
The suspects fled to the northern, Turkish-controlled part of the island after the murder.
The Turkish Cypriot authorities refused to hand them over to the Greek Cypriot south and both were allowed to leave the country.
Mr Akpinar went to his home country of Turkey, but Turkish authorities do not extradite their own citizens and have not responded to a International arrest warrant.
In the Instagram messages Mr Akpinar said to Mr Barker: “I just stabbed you… Sali killed George… he put the blame on me.”
He claims he is now stuck and unable to travel elsewhere due to the arrest warrant.
In bargaining messages he asked Mr Barker if he would be a “friend”, and drop the charges against him in return for information on Mr Ahmet’s location and when he would be outside of Turkey and could be apprehended.
Mr Barker said he sounded “desperate”, adding: “It’s really hard to wrap your head around”.
Mrs Low said: “Akpinar wants to stop looking over his shoulder and live a normal life.
“But he needs to bring himself forward and serve his time, and then he will be free.”
Image source, Getty Images
Mr Low, an estate agent, was killed in Grigori Axfentiou Street, near Ayia Napa square
Dartford MP Gareth Johnson said Kent Police passed the information on to the Cypriot police but “they seem powerless to do anything about it”.
A meeting was held earlier this week between Mr Low’s parents, the Foreign Office and the police forces of Cyprus and Kent.
Mr Johnson said there was “limited progress but no breakthrough”.
Mrs Low said: “We will never give up, we’re determined to see these men stand trial.”
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