By Elizabeth Georgiou
Cyprus’ Central Prisons have spent the past few years under a harsh spotlight, not because of what happens inside a normal correctional facility, but because of a string of security failures, leaked classified files, and inmate deaths that have pushed the system to its breaking point.
What used to be the country’s most secure institution is now routinely linked to organized crime, smuggled phones, and even criminal operations run straight from prison cells.
Crime rings run from inside the cells
One of the most recent cases involves a 30-year-old inmate who allegedly gave instructions, from behind bars, to buy the motorcycle used in the murder of 49-year-old Stavros Demosthenous. The case once again underscored a long-running problem: inmates getting their hands on mobile phones and coordinating crimes with people on the outside.
The same pattern emerged in the high-profile case of convicted lifer Dimitris Mamalikopoulos, who received an additional 40-year sentence for two attempted murders that authorities say he orchestrated over the phone from his jail cell. Prosecutors told the court he communicated directly with the hitman, giving step-by-step orders “with complete disregard for human life.”
Another incident, the 2021 arson attack at the evidence room of the Limassol District Court, revealed even more shocking behavior. According to the Supreme Court, a defendant in the prison’s 5A wing appeared to have used a video call to give real-time instructions to accomplices who broke into the courthouse to remove evidence against him. Only a few years ago, such a scenario would have sounded absurd for a prison inside the European Union.
Smuggling from the buffer zone
Adding to the chaos is the prison’s unusual geography. Its proximity to the UN-controlled buffer zone has turned the area into a smuggling corridor. For years, unknown individuals have been throwing tightly wrapped “balls” filled with mobile phones, SIM cards, and drugs into the prison yard, often at night, in blind spots where guards can’t easily see.
The practice has been going on so long it’s practically a tradition, highlighting what officials quietly admit: the prison’s location makes security a constant uphill battle.
300,000 classified documents discovered offsite
Perhaps the most alarming scandal broke when investigators seized roughly 300,000 confidential and classified Central Prisons documents, along with security camera footage, from the home of a senior prison guard. The discovery came during a separate investigation and sent shockwaves through the justice system.
Eight people have been charged, including former director Anna Aristotelous, former deputy director Athena Dimitriou, and several guards. According to testimony in court, the documents were removed in an organized fashion between November and December 2022, raising serious concerns about internal controls and oversight.
Inmate deaths raise fresh concerns
Oversight gaps also resurfaced in the case of inmate Chindan, which recently reached a final verdict. And just last Sunday, a 35-year-old Egyptian prisoner died after an incident inside ward 4. A 30-year-old Greek Cypriot inmate has been arrested in connection with the death and is being held for eight days. The victim collapsed in the guards’ office, with an injury beneath his left eye. The investigation is still in its early stages, with dozens of statements pending and forensic exams underway.
“We’ve reached the breaking point”
Prison guards say the situation is spiraling. “The situation in the Central Prisons has exceeded all limits of endurance,” said George Maltezos, spokesperson for the Branch Council of Prison Guards of the Pancyprian Union ‘Equality.’ “We’re not talking about problems anymore; this is an explosive security crisis that puts lives at risk.”
Maltezos stressed that guards are not trained to carry out police operations, yet they’re repeatedly tasked with dangerous seizures and control duties. He warned that mixing detainees awaiting trial, convicted inmates, and high-risk offenders in shared wards is a “time bomb” fueling violence and organized crime.
His solution is blunt: Cyprus needs a new prison. “This is not a luxury. The current buildings don’t meet even basic standards,” he said, adding that the location next to the buffer zone makes effective control almost impossible. “A new prison must be outside residential areas and definitely nowhere near the buffer zone.”
Leadership vacuum deepening the crisis
Ever since former director Anna Aristotelous departed, the prisons have been operating without permanent leadership. The instability worsened after deputy director Konstantinidis resigned on December 2. The Justice Ministry has recommended that the Public Service Commission formally announce the vacancy, and the process is underway. Until then, Maria Siali has been appointed acting deputy director.
A permanent director is considered crucial to ending the cycle of crises. Officials and frontline staff agree that reform must go far beyond new buildings. It requires a modern correctional philosophy, stronger staffing, upgraded technology, and firm institutional oversight.
As one guard put it, “We’re past the point of warnings. Tolerance has run out.”
*Read the Greek version here.
