Presidential pardon releases minor offenders ahead of August 15 holiday

Nicosia, Cyprus. Cypriot and foreign minor offenders are being released from prison on Wednesday under a presidential pardon ahead of the August 15 Assumption of the Virgin Mary holiday, as authorities seek to reduce overcrowding.

Release criteria

The Justice Ministry said those released were minor offenders who met the required criteria and had been included on a list prepared with the approval of the Law Office.

It said efforts to reduce overcrowding at the central prison and in police detention cells would continue in compliance with the law and international conventions, while respecting detainees’ rights and considering public safety.

Foreign offenders

Procedures are ongoing to repatriate or deport foreign minor offenders whose asylum applications have been rejected, the ministry said.

Some are to be deported immediately, while procedures for others remain under way.

In February, President Nikos Christodoulides pardoned 11 third-country nationals who had been scheduled for release later in the year. They were deported immediately.

Overcrowding concerns

In December 2025, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture said living conditions at the prison “remain very poor” and were affected by severe overcrowding.

The committee said overcrowding had reached a level where up to four prisoners shared cells of less than six square metres. In such cells, it said, two people were forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor, although the cells were scarcely sufficient for one person.

On Tuesday, media reports said overcrowding at the central prison was increasing pressure on police detention facilities, with some detainees forced to sleep on floors. Concerns were reported over hygiene, safety and human rights, with some facilities holding twice as many detainees as permitted.

A Lakatamia police station logbook entry on Sunday recorded 77 detainees and described the facility as operating at 110 per cent capacity, noting that senior police officers were aware of the situation.