prison conditions — Measures to improve prison conditions are set to be implemented at Nicosia central prisons, according to Justice Minister Constantinos Fitiris. This announcement comes after a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides and follows a troubling week marked by two inmate deaths and a critical EU report highlighting severe issues within the facility.
- As the authorities work to implement these changes, the deaths of Almfalani and the Egyptian inmate serve as stark reminders of the urgent need for reform within the prison system.
During the meeting, Fitiris reported on the dire situation at the prison, including the recent death of 23-year-old Syrian inmate Abdul Kader Almfalani. His death, along with that of a 35-year-old Egyptian national killed in a violent altercation, has raised alarm over the safety and living conditions of inmates.
The Justice Minister conveyed his commitment to implementing “swift, substantive, and comprehensive interventions” to address long-standing challenges affecting both prisoners and staff. He outlined a plan that encompasses immediate, medium-term, and long-term measures aimed at decongesting the prison, upgrading conditions for inmates, and enhancing supervision and control mechanisms.
The primary objective of these measures is to mitigate criminal behaviour within the institution while ensuring compliance with national and international laws that protect the rights of prisoners, detainees, and staff members.
An alarming report from the Council of Europe’s committee for the prevention of torture, issued earlier this week, highlighted “serious problems” at Nicosia’s central prison. The report expressed “grave concerns” regarding the high levels of inter-prisoner violence and pointed to a “failure of prison staff to ensure the safety of those in custody.”
This failure, the report stated, has been exacerbated by a chronic shortage of frontline officers. The lack of adequate staffing has allowed stronger groups of inmates to exert control, leading to informal punishments that undermine safety and order within the prison.
Fitiris’s proposed measures are essential not only for improving the welfare of inmates but also for restoring public confidence in the prison system. With a renewed focus on addressing these critical issues, the aim is to foster an environment that prioritises safety and rehabilitation.
As the authorities work to implement these changes, the deaths of Almfalani and the Egyptian inmate serve as stark reminders of the urgent need for reform within the prison system.
