Α British man in custody pending a court appearance was found dead in the Central Prisons showers, as questions are being raised over the handling of the situation.
He was not examined for signs of life and no CPR was performed to attempt possible revival, with the man not moved from his position at all, until coroners arrived at the scene.
According to preliminary reports, the 59 year old Briton was last seen at 10 in the morning and was eventually found at two in the afternoon, with no one questioning his whereabouts for more than four hours.
It is the third such incident in less than a week, following the death of a man convicted of raping his grandson and the attempted murder of another inmate.
This latest case piles on the problems for the temporary prison management, as warden Anna Aristotelous is currently on sick leave and is expected to pursue her accusations against senior police officer Michalis Katsounotos in European courts.
In yet another incident, an inmate was found with crystal meth in his mouth as he appeared before the Nicosia district court, while another convict had a Facebook account.
The Council of Europe’s Committee for Prison Torture is expected in Cyprus later this month and will be delivering its findings in a relevant report.
Central Prisons are currently overcrowded with 1,025 convicted individuals or people awaiting trial. Capacity is 425.
