By Elisavet Georgiou
A new report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has reported shocking conditions in Cypriot detention facilities, following an ad hoc visit to the country in April 2025. The report focuses on four key locations: the Central Prisons, police detention centers, the Pournara First Reception Center, and the detention area at Larnaca Airport.
Despite some isolated improvements, the CPT concludes that conditions remain deeply problematic, with many issues persisting over time.
Central Prisons: Overcrowding, violence, and degrading practices
The CPT reports “alarmingly high” levels of violence among inmates at the Central Prisons. Chronic understaffing has left entire wings “out of control,” allowing groups of prisoners to impose their own informal rules. The committee called on authorities to immediately increase staffing and restore effective oversight.
Inmates are held in cells smaller than six square meters, with up to four people per cell, and many are forced to sleep on the floor. Many wings lack toilets inside the cells, forcing prisoners to use bottles or, in some cases, bags at night, a practice the CPT described as degrading.
Lawyer Efstathios Efstathiou told local media that the problems are neither random nor isolated. “They start and end with the same basic causes: overcrowding and the ease with which our courts send people to prison,” he said.
Prisons were designed to house a specific number of inmates but now hold more than twice that number, Efstathiou said. “This inevitably leads to insufficient supervision, overcrowding, poor hygiene, and rising violence. When a prison system consistently operates at or beyond its limits, it cannot ensure security or protect human dignity,” he said.
Juvenile detention: “Children are cold, hungry, and bored”
The report raises serious concerns about the detention of minors in unsuitable, unhygienic conditions. Children are sleeping on the floor in moldy cells, without access to education or activities, and report feeling cold and hungry. The CPT said prisons are not appropriate for minors and called for their immediate removal.
Healthcare is also inadequate, with the CPT urging improvements in services, full medical confidentiality, and a comprehensive policy on suicide prevention and substance abuse treatment.
Police detention centers: Extended detention in short-term facilities
At police detention centers, most detainees reported being treated properly by the police. However, the CPT noted that many are held for excessively long periods in facilities designed for only a few days. There were isolated complaints of verbal or physical abuse, prompting the committee to call for stricter enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy and for immediate relief of overcrowding.
Pournara Reception Center: Improved conditions but persistent delays
Conditions at the Pournara First Reception Center have improved compared to 2023, particularly in cleanliness and basic hygiene. Still, many asylum seekers remain in the center for months, often awaiting age assessments or other procedures.
The CPT highlighted overcrowding and inadequate conditions for unaccompanied minor boys. Access to psychologists is limited, organized activities for adults are lacking, and children have almost no educational or recreational opportunities. The committee urged authorities to end the detention of minors and improve procedures for assessing vulnerability.
Larnaca Airport detention area
At the Larnaca Airport detention area, the CPT called for improvements in both conditions and access to information about detainees’ rights. Delays and limited information place additional pressure on already vulnerable individuals.
Some positive developments
The report noted some improvements, including fewer complaints of abuse by prison staff and better conditions at Pournara. Cypriot authorities announced plans to address overcrowding, including electronic monitoring for defendants, referral of people with addiction issues to treatment, and limiting small cells to single occupancy.
The new Justice Minister, who took office just days ago, is reportedly receiving briefings on the issues describe by the CPT. Immediate plans include on-site visits to sensitive facilities such as the Central Prisons to assess conditions firsthand and prioritize reforms.
This article was translated from its Greek original.
