Security at police holding cells to be reviewed after Lakatamia escape
The justice minister and police chief will discuss security and overcrowding after a 19-year-old remand prisoner escaped from Lakatamia holding cells.
Lakatamia, Cyprus. Security at police detention centres will be discussed on Monday after a 19-year-old remand prisoner escaped from the Lakatamia holding cells on Friday night.
Security review
Justice Minister Costas Fitiris told the Cyprus News Agency that the issue would be on the agenda of his regular meeting with the chief of police on Monday afternoon. They will examine possible measures to address longstanding overcrowding and improve conditions and security at police detention centres, he said.
Fitiris said the matter fell under the responsibility of the police leadership, which held an emergency meeting on Saturday following the escape.
Investigation
A 45-year-old man arrested in connection with the escape was remanded in custody for five days by Nicosia district court on Sunday. He was arrested on Saturday under a court warrant on suspicion of assisting a criminal offender. Nicosia CID is continuing its investigation.
Detention facilities
The Cyprus prisons department operates separately from the Cyprus police. The department handles convicted individuals at the central prisons, while police manage short-term holding cells at local stations.
According to data released earlier in 2026 by the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat, prison cells in Cyprus are, on average, the most overcrowded in the European Union.
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