THREE prisoners at the central prison in north Nicosia suffered serious injuries on Tuesday night after guards failed to respond in time to a fire in their cell.
According to prison staff, the fire was started deliberately by at least one of three inmates who had been locked in a cell as punishment for allegedly attacking another inmate.
Yesterday, two of the injured prisoners were said to be recovering in hospital. Another, however, was still said to be in a serious condition. All three are believed to have received burns and to be suffering from smoke inhalation.
Head of the Public Servants Union (KTAMS) Ahmet Kaptan said the incident highlighted the serious overcrowding and under-funding of the Turkish Cypriot central prison.
“The prison was designed for around 220 prisoners. Today there are 431 prisoners being housed there. Many are sleeping in corridors because there are not enough cells. This poses serious health and security risks,” he told the Cyprus Mail yesterday. He added that his union had made repeated calls on the ‘interior ministry’ to address problems at the prison, but that these had fallen on deaf ears.
As well as an increase in the number of guards and the addition of new prison buildings, Kaptan called for the “urgent and immediate” installation of CCTV at the prison.
“If cameras had been installed as we earlier proposed, action could have been taken sooner that would have prevented serious injury,” CCTV, he added, would also provide greater security for his members working in the prison.
The Turkish Cypriot central prison has long faced criticism from human rights experts and medical groups. In May, police armed with riot shields and batons were sent into the prison to quell riots that had erupted largely as a result of overcrowding.
Following the riots, a visit by independent doctors from the north in May concluded that 90 per cent of inmates had received beatings while in the prison. This was ascertained through medical examinations, which found that beatings to the legs and backside were the most common injuries. Although none of the 400-odd prisoners were said to be in life-threatening condition, four were sent for hospital treatment by the visiting doctors because of walking difficulties resulting from beatings.
Prominent Turkish Cypriot psychologist and politician Dr Mehmet Cakici also carried out a study at the prison earlier this year after which he condemned practices and conditions at the prison as “scandalous”. He too said that beating was common practice.
“Whether guilty or not, many inmates are victims of violence,” he said.
Yesterday, Kaptan was unequivocal about apportioning blame on the ‘interior ministry’ for failing to meet the needs of prisoners and workers at the prison. He said the prison itself was understaffed with only 30 guards in charge of over 400 prisoners.
“Our workers are our responsibility and they are under great strain because there are simply not enough of them to handle that many prisoners”.
The ‘interior ministry’ was unavailable for comment.
