Newsroom
In a landmark decision, a Nicosia court has found three prison guards guilty of manslaughter and neglect of duty over the 2022 death of 41-year-old inmate Tansu Cindan, who was beaten to death with wooden sticks and other objects inside Cyprus’s Central Prison.
The court ruled that Cindan was assaulted by fellow prisoners while the guards failed to intervene, allowing the attack to continue. Prosecutors said the assault could have been stopped, but the guards’ negligence directly contributed to his death.
Testimony revealed that the beating involved multiple prisoners and that the guards on duty at the time neither acted to protect Cindan nor called for help promptly. The defendants’ lawyers argued for lighter sentences, citing personal circumstances, long service, and systemic failures within the prison system.
The case has sparked public outrage and calls for reform. Opposition lawmakers and human rights advocates have demanded investigations into how such extreme violence could occur under the supervision of state-paid personnel, warning that without change, tragedies like Cindan’s could happen again.
For many, the image of prison guards turning a blind eye, or failing to prevent violence, has become a stark symbol of a system in urgent need of accountability.
