Justice Minister Presents Draft Plans for New 1,500-Inmate Central Prison at Ayios Sozomenos

Nicosia, Cyprus. Justice Minister Costas Fitiris on Monday presented the House finance committee with draft plans for a new central prison at Ayios Sozomenos, designed to hold at least 1,500 inmates. The plans include four detention wings, a medical unit, educational facilities and a football pitch.

Budget and cost

The designs were shown alongside the ministry’s 2027 budget, which allocates €1 million to studies and preliminary work for the facility. The whole project is expected to cost €300 million.

Layout of the facility

A model shown to the committee arranges four detention wings, labelled A, B, C and D, on both sides of a central line of buildings. Those buildings cover the administration and central management, a reception and visiting area, and space for education, workshops and rehabilitation programmes.

The design gives special emphasis to the medical unit and to the football pitch, which doubles as a sports ground. It also provides for a Christian chapel and a Muslim prayer room.

On security, the draft envisages a main entrance gate with checks, a road running around the perimeter, walls and watchtowers.

Timeline and consultation

Fitiris said the plans would be shown to the municipalities concerned so that they could state their positions, adding that the goal was to reach “the golden mean” for everyone involved. He estimated that construction would last four to five years, with works due to start by the end of next year.

Choice of site

Ayios Sozomenos is an abandoned village close to the buffer zone. It emerged as the probable location after the ministry abandoned Mathiatis in September, following strong resistance from residents there.

Earlier this month, Fitiris said Mathiatis had been set aside because of “the very high financial cost”, and because it does not have the infrastructure needed for such a project.