The side effects of crime on Cyprus Police include arrangements that are anything but appropriate for a security force, as well as pressure on the prison system due to overcrowding at the Central Prison.
Undeniable testimony is recorded in internal memos of senior police force officials obtained by Phileleftheros as part of an investigation into the whole issue, which are revealed today.
These show that from August and throughout autumn (September, October and November) written instructions were going back and forth from headquarters regarding the cells, which were overloaded.
Said they misheard him
The assistant chief of local policing and operational support, Ioannis Mavrochannas, in his memo on 18 September appears to make strict recommendations because his previous clear instructions in August were not being carried out, resulting in more than two people being placed in each cell.
Blamed him
In fact, Mavrochannas’s letter includes an attribution of blame for this situation, namely the fact that his instructions were not being carried out. He refers to duty officers at Police Headquarters who, according to Mavrochannas, invoked him to ignore his own instructions.
This phenomenon resembles a farce, however there is no exaggeration in what we record in this report.
Mavrochannas notes in the internal memo to the director of the Administration and Human Resources Department (presumably to ensure his remarks are communicated) that he had given his clear instructions on 13/8/2025 and that these, based on reports, were not being carried out for at least five weeks.
Indeed, as Mavrochannas notes, the deputy police director of Nicosia informed him about the non-compliance with his previous instructions.
The memo verbatim
We present the disputed message with the subject “Detention of Second Administrative Detainee in the Same Cell”, to avoid any misinterpretation:
“Regarding the above subject and following the letter of the Deputy Sergeant …, as well as the attached letter of the acting head of Lakatamia Detention Centre, dated 04 September 2025 and file number … please be informed of the following.
Despite my clear instructions to the Duty Officers of Headquarters, after 13/08/2025, that placing a second detainee in the same cell is not permitted, I was informed through the aforementioned letter that this practice continues, at least until 09/09/2025.
The relevant instructions appear to be given by the Duty Officers of Headquarters and conveyed to Nicosia as instructions from Assistant Chief I. Mavrochannas.
Based on the above, written instructions are given, according to which placing a second detainee in the same cell is prohibited. The prohibition applies especially to Lakatamia Detention Centre, whose cells, as stated in the letter of 04/09/2025, are specially designed for the detention of one person only.
The above for information and strict compliance, please”.
Change 18 days later
All the above instructions given repeatedly, namely on 13/8 and 18/9, were overturned 18 days later. On 6 October the assistant police chief, Ioannis Mavrochannas, this time gave new orders based on a decision by the force’s leadership which completely changed the situation.
Arnaoutis’s decision
Mavrochannas in this new memo states that the deputy police chief, Panikos Stavrou, raised the issue of cells again for discussion and that the police force chief, Themistos Arnaoutis, decided to change the tactic being attempted, namely not to hold two people in the same cell.
Arnaoutis appears to have said this can be done in exceptional cases and provided there is no other option. He clarified, of course, that Lakatamia cells are excluded.
For the record, we present the new memo (6/10/25), third in the series on the same subject:
“Regarding the above subject and following the letter of the Deputy Police Director of Nicosia, dated 09 September 2025, with file number …., as well as the attached letter of the acting head of Lakatamia Detention Centre, dated 04 September 2025 and file number … and my own letter, dated 18 September 2025, with file number … please be informed of the following.
The Deputy Chief raised the issue again before the rest of the leadership and the Police Chief gave instructions that placing a second detainee in the same cell is permitted only in exceptional cases, during which all available detention spaces are fully occupied and there is no alternative solution.
Expressly excluded from the above arrangement are detention spaces that are specially designed for the detention of one person only, such as Lakatamia Detention Centre.
The above for information and strict compliance, please”.
Fourth memo
However, the issue with the cells was not to end there. The assistant chief of local policing and operational support, Ioannis Mavrochannas, returned with yet another memo, the fourth in the series since summer, which was sent last Monday, 17 November.
In it he states that the latest instructions from the police chief do not concern administrative detainees (such as irregular migrants), but all detainees. He was presumably referring to remand prisoners, convicts and suspects.
It notes among other things: “…following previous correspondence, which ends with my letter dated 06 October 2025 (attached for easier reference), please be informed of the following:
The instructions as they appear in the attached letter concern all detainees (not only Administrative), unless expressly provided otherwise.
It is clarified that the validity of the present instruction applies from 06 October 2025.
It is noted that letter titles are used for purposes of reference and continuity of correspondence and do not limit the content or application of instructions.
You are requested to apply the Leadership’s instructions based on the content of the letters and not exclusively on their title, so that delays or misinterpretations in the reception and detention process are avoided.
The above for information and strict compliance”.
From 10 in 2022, now 14 cells declared prisons
Issue with number of prison officers and overcrowding
It is an open secret that in police cells for at least the last four years a very large number of detainees are held who should be in Central Prison. The more than 20 detention spaces managed by police were intended to host suspects for offences and administrative detainees.
However, many of the detention spaces managed by police have been declared as prisons on the basis of ministerial decrees. This is to relieve Central Prison, which despite recent arrangements, including the construction and use of a new wing, is not being decongested.
Wing “11” was inaugurated in December 2024, was intended to host 240 detainees, however overcrowding remains a problem, according to testimonies and supporting evidence we collected. Thus, many of those who should be in Prison end up in police cells.
Indicative is Phileleftheros’s revelation in February 2024. As we recorded in our report then, a percentage just over 40% of persons held by police concerned cases of remand prisoners and those sentenced to imprisonment.
This gives a picture of the problem, but not of its worsening. This is reflected by the fact that whilst until 2022, 10 police cells had been “baptised” as prisons, now their number has increased to 14.
As Phileleftheros is in a position to know and based on an internal police memo in July 2025, the 14 cells that had been declared as prisons are those of Lakatamia, Paphos, Polis Chrysochous, as well as those located at the following police stations: Agios Dometios, Omorphita, Pera Choriou, Agia Napa, Paralimni, Evrychou, Peristerona, Athienou, Aradippou, Kofinou, Limassol.
The internal memo indicated that remand prisoners and convicts should be transferred by police to the aforementioned spaces, to avoid legal complications.
Overcrowding-Prison officers
Central Prison at the present stage appears to have a serious overcrowding problem, at the same time that the number of prison officers is not what it should be.
In statements to Phileleftheros, the deputy president of the prison officers’ branch of the pan-Cyprian union “ISOTITA”, Giorgos Maltezos, referring to labour issues, conveyed the picture regarding the pressure the prison system faces.
As he stated, based on international standards set, it is calculated that the recruitment of 135 prison officers is lacking. He explained that Prison staff consists of 452 prison employees, but of these only about 200 perform duties on the front line, that is, in the wings where detainees are located.
Maltezos compared the numerical data he is in a position to know in his capacity as a trade unionist. As he stated, detainees in Central Prison at this moment are over 1,200.
He explained that the minimum limit set by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) is to have one prison officer for 15 detainees.
He commented that this ratio is not maintained, as each prison officer in Cyprus has responsibility for 30 detainees.
He also said that each six-hour shift should include 80 prison officers, but what actually happens at Central Prison is that half work, that is 40 prison employees.
Police spokesman spoke about security issues
The Cyprus Police spokesman, Vyron Vyronos, answering a relevant question from Phileleftheros said that security issues are raised and consequently he will not go into details giving data, which might affect police work.
It should be noted that we had put a question to Vyronos regarding the extent of the problem and specifically the issues police are called to manage due to the overload of the prison system.
As we have already noted, the police force is burdened with duties arising from detention of convicts and remand prisoners, who end up in cells which have been declared as prisons by ministerial decree.
CPT concerns about Prison and Police
The president of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), Alan Mitchell, last June had a meeting in Cyprus with the justice minister, Marios Hartsiotis.
The meeting was attended by, among others, the assistant police chief, Ioannis Georgiou and the deputy director of the Prisons Department, Constantinos Constantinou.
We present verbatim an extract from a CPT press release dated 20/6/2025: “The CPT President returned to Cyprus (…) to discuss various long-standing challenges facing Nicosia Central Prison (…). Various persistent concerns regarding police detention were also discussed. Discussions included the chronic and increasing overcrowding situation at Nicosia Central Prison, which negatively affects prisoners’ living conditions; the need for greater emphasis and wider use of alternatives to imprisonment, violence between prisoners and inadequate recording of injuries, lack of meaningful programmes for prisoners and various issues related to healthcare in prisons. Regarding police, a recurring issue mentioned was prolonged periods of detention in police cells, which are not designed or equipped for long stays. Groups held in these police cells include both remand prisoners and administrative detainees”.
Last Saturday a 45-year-old Central Prison detainee died shortly after being transferred to Nicosia General Hospital. On 6/11 a 39-year-old Greek Cypriot, who was in custody at Aradippou police cells was found dead. Moreover, on 17 October a 43-year-old was found dead in police cells in Paphos.
Foreigners and Austria’s deportations
People who spoke to Phileleftheros about the serious Prison overcrowding problems and side effects for police, linked the issue also to the presence of a large number of migrants in Cyprus. It is indicative that last Wednesday in Parliament the deputy director of the Prisons Department, Constantinos Constantinides, stated that over 50% of detainees today are foreigners, recognising the overcrowding problem.
Phileleftheros information states that at the Migration Sub-ministry developments in the European Union regarding migration are being closely monitored. At a relatively recent meeting of political heads of EU member states who have migration issues under their jurisdiction, the deportation of two Syrians from Austria was discussed.
It was commented that the road to deportations to Syria has opened. The migration sub-minister, Dr Nikolaos Ioannides, participated in the meeting.
Those mentioned had been convicted of crimes in the central European country, which after their conviction deported them without needing their consent. One of the two cases, in fact, ended up at the ECHR which did not stand as an obstacle to Austria’s decision.
In the Legal parliamentary committee last Wednesday, a bill by Nikos Tornaritis was discussed which provides as an alternative punishment for foreigners who commit serious criminal offences, their deportation instead of serving a sentence.
First in Europe for overcrowding
In an analysis by Ioana Vasi, an expert at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime who analyses official Interpol data, notes about the situation prevailing in Europe’s prisons: “In Europe, Romania is a prime example of this crisis, ranking second after Cyprus in terms of prison overcrowding rates”.
The plan to decongest Central Prison
Despite our effort to obtain an official statement from the Justice Ministry for the purposes of this publication, nonetheless the intentions of the political head, Marios Hartsiotis, and specifically his plan for decongestion, have been presented in previous reports.
In a publication on 14/11 it was recorded that a key part of the minister’s plans is the construction of a new wing/closed prison with capacity for 360 people.
The cost is expected to exceed €29 million and the project is calculated to be ready within the next two years. A proposal that had been examined for creating new prison facilities outside Nicosia was deemed financially unviable.
The Public Works Department reportedly estimated that the cost of such an ambitious project would reach €200 million.
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