Nicosia, Cyprus. Civil servants’ union Pasydy has called for an immediate reduction in prison inmate numbers and measures to address staffing shortages after a fire at the central prisons left a prison officer hospitalised.
The union said prison operations could not continue to rely solely on chronically understaffed personnel and said it would seek a meeting with Justice Minister Costas Fitiris.
Fire in maximum-security wing
The fire began on Sunday after three inmates in a maximum-security wing for prisoners with mental health needs deliberately set fire to their cells and a corridor, according to prison authorities.
A prison warden was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, while the wing was evacuated.
Overcrowding and staffing concerns
Pasydy described the incident as unacceptable and reiterated its call for an immediate reduction in the prison population.
The union said Cyprus has the most overcrowded prisons in the European Union. Eurostat data published in May showed the country’s prison occupancy rate at 227.6 per cent, compared with 134.2 per cent in Slovenia, the second-highest rate.
Pasydy said overcrowding and understaffing inevitably limit the capacity for supervision that could prevent similar incidents. It called for measures to tackle staff shortages and ensure safe and normal working conditions.
Previous incident in wing four
The unit, known as wing four, has drawn concern following recent incidents. In December last year, a Greek Cypriot inmate fatally assaulted an Egyptian inmate in the wing.
