Newsroom
The Commissioner of Administration and Protection of Human Rights has condemned the “inhuman and degrading treatment” of a convict held in police detention after reporting he was raped in prison.
Maria Stylianou Lottides, who visited the Nicosia Police Detention Centers on Sept. 19 in her role as National Preventive Mechanism against torture, said the man was being confined to his cell around the clock with no access to fresh air, exercise or psychological support.
“As a result, he spends 24 hours a day inside his cell, enduring, in practice, inhuman treatment,” Lottides said in her report. “He wondered what he had done to deserve this, since he had been transferred there for protection as a potential victim, yet this restriction makes him feel as though he is being treated like a perpetrator.”
The convict, who was moved to a single cell in the juvenile wing after alleging rape, told the commissioner that while prison authorities initially removed him from his alleged attackers within half an hour, his transfer has left him isolated without privileges available to both inmates and other detainees. He is barred from ordering food, using vending machines, or keeping personal items in his cell. His conversations with his lawyer take place on loudspeaker, eliminating confidentiality.
Until Lottides’ visit, he had not received any psychological care. “While his right to protection was rightly recognized, a host of rights that he should enjoy as a person deprived of liberty have been ignored,” she said.
The commissioner recommended either transferring him to another center where he could exercise outdoors or ensuring his rights are respected with immediate access to entertainment, confidential legal communication and mental health support.
Her report also raised broader concerns over detention conditions. She found poor ventilation, inadequate air conditioning and an “indoor yard” so stifling detainees described it as “a form of torture.” Juveniles, she noted, were locked in cells 24/7 to avoid contact with adults.
She added that mixing remand and convicted prisoners contravenes international standards, while some administrative detainees were held for months in facilities deemed unfit for more than 24-hour stays.
Police staffing levels were also described as inadequate, with officers themselves calling for more support.
