Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’ cabinet on Monday recommended that former prisons director Anna Aristotelous be placed on suspension again, days after the Administrative Court annulled an earlier decision to place her on leave. Ministers agreed during an extraordinary meeting to submit a new recommendation to the Public Service Commission.
Court ruling on previous suspension
The court had annulled the Public Service Commission’s previous decision to suspend Aristotelous from December 5, 2025, pending the outcome of criminal proceedings against her concerning documents linked to the Central Prisons.
According to the ruling, the cabinet was not the competent authority to recommend her suspension at the time because Aristotelous was still serving at the Presidency when the proposal was submitted to the Public Service Commission.
The judgment stated that “on November 28, 2025, when the proposal was submitted by the cabinet, the applicant was still serving at the Presidency and had not yet assumed the duties of director-general.”
It also said that “the competent authority to recommend the applicant’s suspension was the Presidency of the Republic and not the cabinet.”
Government response
Speaking to Politis radio on Monday, deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said the cabinet had decided to resubmit its recommendation to the Public Service Commission following the Administrative Court’s ruling.
He said the government considered that the reasons justifying the recommendation for Aristotelous’ suspension remained in place, while stressing that the final decision rests with the Public Service Commission.
“The cabinet does not decide on suspension. The cabinet makes a recommendation to the Public Service Commission,” Antoniou said.
Effect of the ruling
The court ruling resulted in the cancellation of the Public Service Commission’s earlier decision to place Aristotelous on leave while the criminal case against her remains pending.