Cyprus’s Health Minister Michalis Damianos has highlighted serious systemic issues within the state’s forensic service, stating that superficial improvements would not address deep-rooted problems that have plagued the department for years.
Speaking on state CyBC radio programme, Damianos said that whilst understaffing might be partly responsible for the service’s shortcomings, simply increasing personnel would not resolve existing problems. He cited procedural issues and cooperation difficulties as key areas of concern.
The minister’s comments followed the killing of a 24-year-old Pakistani national by police, where forensic examiner Dr Nikolas Charalambous failed to identify a gunshot wound and bullet in the body during the initial examination, therefore ruling out foul play. “What is peculiar is the magnitude of the apparent error,” Damianos said.
During a second autopsy, the 9mm bullet was later linked to a service weapon that was used by an officer during a police chase of migrants inside the buffer zone near Potamia. Questions remain on how the body was found in Strovolos, around 20 km away from Potamia.
Yesterday, the cabinet announced that it is suspending Charalambous.
Damianos confirmed he has received a police report detailing the forensic examiner’s actions from the moment the body was discovered in the Acropolis area of Nicosia through to the post-mortem examination.
The killing has sparked outrage and condemnation by political parties and social groups about police’s handling of migration.
In April 2024, Anisur Rahman, a young Bangladeshi worker jumped to his death in Limassol to escape a migrant raid by authorities.
The police killings of migrants come in the backdrop of multiple attacks against migrant delivery workers across Cyprus, raising concerns about increasing racism and intolerance in local society.
In August and September 2023, far-right groups organised repeated attacks against migrants and migrant-owned businesses in Paphos and Limassol.
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