Union alleges drugs, violence amid understaffing crisis at Central Prison

Local central prisonspolicepolice officersTop Newstrade unions Union alleges drugs, violence amid understaffing crisis at Central Prison Prison Officers' Union Alleges Violence, Understaffing Crisis At Central Prison Relevant News Union alleges drugs, violence amid understaffing crisis at Central Prison 6 August 2026 Man arrested in Larnaca airport over €827,400 car import fraud scheme 6 August 2026 Ex-minister warns Cyprus risks losing EU Presidency’s legacy 6 August 2026 Newsroom 6 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Prison Officers’ Branch Council of the ISOTITA union has raised serious allegations over conditions at Nicosia Central Prison, citing understaffing, overcrowding, violent incidents, drug trafficking and what it describes as an inability to run the facility safely. In a statement issued on Thursday, the union said two simultaneous clashes between inmates broke out on August 5, in Wing 5 and Wing 2B. It said one inmate was injured in the Wing 5 incident. ISOTITA said the incidents were not an “isolated bad day” but part of a documented pattern. Among the cases it cited was an allegation of rape involving an inmate in Wing 5 in September 2025, which the union said remains under investigation at an advanced stage. The union also cited a clash involving sharp objects in Wing 1B in June 2026, in which someone was injured and improvised weapons were seized, as well as a stabbing in a maximum-security wing in July. During that incident, according to the statement, a staff member was taken to hospital after inhaling smoke. ISOTITA also referred to a court case involving drug trafficking inside the prison, and to a report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, arguing that chronic understaffing makes it harder to protect both inmates and staff. The union further alleged an attempt at “silencing,” saying that on July 31 the then vice-president and press spokesperson of the Branch Council was dismissed without notice or compensation, and was subsequently elected the Council’s president. It said disciplinary proceedings remain pending against six union officials, with none yet concluded. ISOTITA said it has already submitted its demands in writing, giving a seven-day deadline for a response. It is calling for full protection from biological hazards, adequate staffing, immediate decongestion and humane working conditions. “We are not asking for immunity. We are asking for a state that controls its prisons,” the statement concludes, signed by Georgios Maltezos, president of the Prison Officers’ Branch Council. Read more: Union sounds alarm after prison officer gets exposed to blood, bloodborne disease Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Man arrested in Larnaca airport over €827,400 car import fraud scheme Ex-minister warns Cyprus risks losing EU Presidency’s legacy Christodoulides swears in new government appointees following reshuffle Five terror suspects due in Larnaca court under tight security E-scooter deaths this year match last four years’ total What Meridiam’s Great Sea Interconnector takeover means for the Cyprus link Dog loose on Kokkinotrimithia-Nicosia motorway near Pournara Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.