Syrian man escapes from central prisons

A 28-YEAR-OLD Syrian national escaped from the main police holding cells, which are located within the Central Prisons, yesterday morning around 7:45am.  The Syrian national was being held for having entered Cyprus illegally.

“This morning, a little before 8am, a foreigner who was being held under a holding and deportation order… whilst he was transferring buckets of trash under the supervision of a member of the police, under conditions which are being investigated, escaped and is being searched for,” said Michalis Katsounotos, spokesperson for the police.

The Syrian, who was in the forecourt of the prisons where he was throwing the rubbish, managed to escape by climbing the approximately 4.5-metre tall metal fence surrounding the prison, at the section of it where the gate is located.  Improvement works are currently being carried out at the Central Prisons and the barbed wire on top of the gate was removed 15 days ago. The barbed wire had not been replaced by the time the Syrian national attempted his escape.

Immediately following his escape police went to the area and searched it thoroughly so as to find the escapee and re-arrest him, and also to investigate the area for clues.  However, they did not succeed in locating him and current speculation is that he has not crossed into the occupied areas but took a direction heading further into the Republic of Cyprus.

According to police the Syrian was arrested at his point of entry to the Republic of Cyprus and was not working or living here in any capacity.

He was arrested for entering Cyprus illegally and was being held until the bureaucracy relating to his deportation could be completed.  Police have launched an investigation to establish the conditions under which he managed to escape, and to determine if his escape was due to negligence on the part of the police.

Katsounotos said that there police did not see any purpose to suspending any member of the police force over the incident.  He noted that suspension is not a means of punishment but an administrative measure.  In the case of the Syrian escapee there exists neither evidence nor testimony which can be destroyed and no witnesses who can be corrupted if a member of the police remains in place.

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