Accession could mark early release for prisoners

THE momentous occasion of Cyprus’ EU accession could well be a cause for celebration in the Central Prison, for guards and convicts alike.

According to reports, the Justice Ministry has requested a mass reduction of sentences for inmates in light of EU accession.

The ministry sent a letter to Attorney-general Solon Nikitas, suggesting an across the board reduction in sentences on account of European accession.

Reports suggest that the ministry is seeking to cut inmates’ sentence time by a quarter, something which Nikitas must decide on before referring to the President.

Phileleftheros reported yesterday that 100 of the 480 inmates currently doing time in the Central Prison would be free to go if the request was approved. The prison has been suffering from overcrowding for some time now and the move is seen as a measure to deal with this congestion.

Meanwhile, nine convicts serving life sentences sent a letter to President Tassos Papadopoulos, complaining that their rights were being violated because the duration of a life sentence had yet to be determined.

The nine lifers sent letters to the President, the House President, Justice Minister and human rights protector ETHNOPAD as a first measure against not getting a release date.

One lifer, Panayiotis Kafkaris, has been on hunger strike since last Sunday, in protest that his rights were being violated by his non-release.

The lifers are currently refusing special privileges afforded to lifers, such as visitation and phoning rights.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.