A fire broke out in the maximum-security wing around 10:15 p.m. on Sunday evening at the Central Prison.
According to the information available so far, three inmates deliberately set fire to their cells and the hallway of the wing, where ten people are being held.
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The fire burned mattresses and caused smoke damage to the wing’s facilities.
Staff members responded immediately and safely evacuated all inmates from the wing. The Fire Department was called to the scene and assisted in fully extinguishing the fire.
No inmates were injured. One prison staff member was taken to the hospital as a precaution due to smoke inhalation, while the inmates were temporarily transferred to another wing.
The circumstances under which the fire broke out are under investigation.
It should be noted that this wing is significantly smaller in size and has fewer inmates than the others, and is designed to house individuals with mental health issues.
The specific nature of the inmate population housed in this wing has made it necessary for its cells to be appropriately designed. Specifically, these cells have no electricity, and therefore the inmates do not have access to electrical devices such as televisions, radios, etc. There is only one central television in the wing’s common area, which inmates can watch until the cells are locked.
The other distinctive feature concerns the protective soft covering with which the walls of the cells in Wing 4 are lined. This has been installed to protect inmates in the cells from incidents of self-harm.
In the past, however, this wing was not a regular wing but a punishment block for prisoners who committed disciplinary offenses and were punished with solitary confinement by being sent there.
It should be recalled that a 35-year-old Egyptian man lost his life in this wing when he was attacked by a group of individuals. Prison officials intervened immediately, and the Egyptian man was transported to a private clinic, where he was pronounced dead. In fact, a 30-year-old Greek Cypriot inmate was arrested in connection with the incident.
In our report on the matter at the time, we highlighted the concerns that appeared to prevail regarding the conditions in Wing 4, since, as we had been told by reliable sources, individuals who do not suffer from any mental illness are also housed there. This means that, within a relatively small area of the correctional facility, a dangerous mix of inmates with completely different needs and requirements is being held together.
