The Association for the Protection of Prisoners’ Rights and Support of Released Inmates has forwarded a letter to the President from Central Prison inmates, detailing allegations of violence, overcrowding, poor food quality, and the discontinuation of educational and rehabilitation programmes.
The letter, made public by the association, notes that President Christodoulides is scheduled to inaugurate a new prison wing on 17 December alongside the Justice Minister and Deputy Prison Director. The inmates claim the wing is not ready for opening, despite previous ministerial announcements that it would be completed by September.
According to the letter, the facility no longer functions as a correctional institution, with conditions reminiscent of “dark times” when Cyprus faced European condemnation over its prison system. The inmates referenced past incidents where “prisoners lost their lives before the facility was transformed into a correctional institution meeting European standards”.
The correspondence details allegations of daily violence, including claims of abuse by prison management and guards. It also describes severe overcrowding, with “four inmates sharing 2×2-metre cells” and some sleeping on the floor. The letter criticises food portions and quality, and reports reduced visiting hours, allegedly due to staffing shortages.
The inmates maintain that rehabilitation programmes have been discontinued, schools have been closed, and activities have ceased, eliminating opportunities for prisoner reform. They describe the current situation as “a survival game” that has “deteriorated in recent years”.
The document concludes by stating that conditions in the prison have “spiralled out of control” for some time.
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