Mathiatis, Cyprus. Justice minister Costas Fitiris said a new central prison will be built on the outskirts of Mathiatis, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 and be completed in five years. The plan drew criticism from Mathiatis community leader Theodoros Tsatsos, who cited briefing and environmental concerns.
Government plan and timeline
Fitiris said the site was chosen for its distance, its status as state land, and because the facility is required to be built on the outskirts of the capital. He said all studies and plans will follow prescribed procedures and that the project could expand over a 30-year horizon.
He told Alpha TV the location near Analiontas, where a solar farm project was previously abandoned, contains no known antiquities and is not classified as forest. Fitiris said pre-trial detainees would remain in existing central prison wings close to the courts, while the new facility would house 1,500 inmates and cost an estimated €300 million.
Fitiris said on Monday that the location had been presented to the community and that there was no objection to the construction.
Local criticism and concerns
Tsatsos said the ministry was in a hurry to announce the project, leaving residents without full briefing. He raised concerns about environmental impacts, saying the proposed site is a pine-covered area.
He also pointed to pressure on local resources, noting that Mathiatis already hosts two army camps and contains significant Turkish Cypriot land. Tsatsos said reaching an agreement would not be easy and stressed that the project must be presented to the community and that environmental impact studies must be carried out.
What concerns, if any, do you have about building the new prison on the outskirts of Mathiatis?