Newsroom
Cyprus is pulling police officers away from guarding several former politicians and former first ladies after a new security review concluded that permanent protection was no longer necessary.
The changes take effect Oct. 5 and will affect former House presidents Marios Garoyian, Demetris Syllouris and Yiannakis Omirou, as well as former first ladies Elsie Christofia and Androulla Vassiliou.
Vassiliou had already voluntarily given up the officer assigned to her, according to reports.
Former President Nicos Anastasiades, however, remains the exception, at least for now.
His six-member personal escort will remain in place, while officers will continue guarding his Limassol residence until an electronic surveillance and early-warning system is installed. From January 2027, the fixed guard at the house is expected to be replaced by frequent police patrols.
In effect, Anastasiades’ total police detail will be reduced from 12 officers to six once the new security system is operating.
The changes follow an updated risk assessment conducted under a new, unified procedure for deciding who receives police protection. Authorities said the decisions were based solely on security risks and not on a person’s former title or political career.
Justice Minister Costas Fitiris has been pushing for police guards to be reviewed, with the aim of returning officers to departments facing staffing shortages. He previously asked the police chief to remove the six officers providing round-the-clock protection at his own home.
For taxpayers, the question is fairly simple: if no credible threat exists, should trained police officers be spending their shifts outside the homes of people who left public office years ago?
For the police, it is also a matter of manpower. Every officer assigned to a former official is one fewer available for patrols, investigations, traffic policing, or responding to calls from the public.
Permanent protection may be justified where there is a genuine danger. The new approach suggests, however, that holding an important title in the past will no longer automatically guarantee a police officer at the door indefinitely.
Anastasiades will continue to receive personal protection, but even his much larger security arrangement is being scaled back. For everyone else affected by the review, the era of the state-provided police guard ends Oct. 5.
