Filenews 15 October 2025 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
The introduction of mobile phones into the Central Prisons becomes a special criminal offense with penalties that burn especially the members of the staff.
Today (15/10) the Council of Ministers approved a bill presented by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, who recently took the initiative to tighten the measures to prevent and combat the import, use and possession of mobile phones in Prisons.
The relevant bill was approved in the form of urgency and is quickly taken to the Parliament for discussion and voting.
The bill includes measures that criminalize the import, possession or use, and even attempted importation, possession or use of mobile phones by prisoners. At the same time, they criminalize the importation or attempt to import mobile phones by persons who are not prisoners and visit prisoners in Prisons.
The bill provides for particularly increased penalties for members of prison staff who commit or attempt to carry out such illegal actions.
Specifically, for visitors or prisoners who import mobile phones into the Prisons, there is a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine of €6,000 or both sentences together. However, when it comes to staff members, the penalties are increased to three years in prison or a fine of €9,000 or both sentences together.
This initiative is independent of the measures designed and launched for the establishment of a mobile phone detection and deactivation system in the Prisons, but also from the controls carried out in the Prisons.
As the Minister of Justice and Public Order Marios Hartsiotis told Filenews, "the proposed amendment to the legislation on prisons is expected to contribute to the efforts made by the Government to prevent and deal with any form of crime and to maintain order and law and order in Prisons."
Furthermore, the minister stated that this legislative initiative of the Government will in no way affect the right of prisoners to communicate with their families and the outside world. He even noted that the outdated system of prison telephone booths was recently replaced with a new and modern system and at the same time the installation of 12 new booths has been requested out of the 38 that are already installed in prisons.
