Our Associate Rafaella Chrysafi has authored an insightful article titled “Ignored Warnings, Preventable Deaths: Cyprus’s Prison Crisis Under the Microscope.”

In her analysis, Rafaella examines a series of troubling incidents that occurred in December 2025 at the Nicosia Central Prisons, where two inmates lost their lives and another attempted suicide within the span of a single month. These events, she explains, highlight serious concerns regarding detention conditions and the State’s responsibility to safeguard the lives and dignity of persons in custody.

The article also reflects on longstanding structural issues within the prison system, including overcrowding, understaffing and inadequate detention conditions, drawing attention to warnings raised more than a decade ago that remain largely unresolved.

Rafaella further discusses the findings of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) following its 2025 visit to Cyprus, which reported high levels of inter-prisoner violence, insufficient prison staff and extremely poor living conditions within detention facilities.

Importantly, the article analyses these developments through the lens of European Convention on Human Rights, focusing on the State’s obligations under Article 2 (Right to Life) and Article 3 (Prohibition of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment). Rafaella highlights the potential legal implications for Cyprus if systemic deficiencies within the prison system remain unaddressed.

The article concludes by proposing a number of urgent measures, including strengthening staffing levels, implementing suicide prevention policies, improving healthcare access and exploring alternatives to detention in order to reduce overcrowding and improve conditions.

🔽 Click the button below to download the full article.

Our legal team remains closely engaged with developments relating to human rights, constitutional law and regulatory reform, and is available to assist with related legal matters and advisory work.