Filenews 1 November 2025 - by Michalis Chatzivasilis
A highly positive development that will resolve one of the burning issues that have plagued the Central Prisons, at least, for the last 10 years, that of the illegal use of mobile phones and the dangerous consequences it entails, is coming soon.
The new system for deactivating mobile phones in prison premises, as revealed to "F" by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, is ready to be implemented, marking a new situation where their uncontrolled use ends with fatal results in some cases. According to Marios Hartsiotis, the system has currently been put into pilot application and it is expected that within November the first phase will be put into operation, while the system will be fully operational at the beginning of 2026.
Asked by "F" about the location of the procedures for the installation of the system, the Minister of Justice said that away from the spotlight, the government and with respect for human rights and personal data, is consistently proceeding with the implementation of a comprehensive plan to deal with the illegal possession and use of mobile phones within the Central Prisons. In this context, he added, it has proceeded to conclude two contracts with a confidential procedure for the installation of a specialized system for locating and deactivating mobile phones in the Central Prisons. The project is implemented in two distinct phases, which complement each other and ensure the maximum effectiveness of the system:
>> The first phase is already in pilot operation and becomes fully operational by November 2025 (first subsystem). The exact date will not be made public for obvious reasons.
>> The second phase is planned to be completed in the first months of 2026, completing the overall system (second subsystem).
As the Minister of Justice explained, the two subsystems are closely interconnected, with one supporting and enhancing the operation of the other, thus ensuring the maximum possible efficiency and reliability of the overall system.
Answering a question on how the problems identified in the past due to the particular situation of the Prisons were overcome, Mr. Hartsiotis said that the selection and installation of the system was a particularly difficult, painful and demanding process, as the Central Prisons are adjacent to residential areas within the urban fabric and also touch the dead zone with all the inherent difficulties that this entails. Therefore, he noted, careful planning, delicate handling and special technical specifications, as well as legal specifications, were required to ensure on the one hand that the operation of the telecommunications networks of citizens will not be affected and on the other hand the maximum possible efficiency of the system will be achieved.
The minister also referred to the overall strategy implemented by the government to strengthen security and legality in Prisons, pointing out the proposal to amend the relevant legislation on Prisons, which now criminalizes the possession and use of mobile phones by prisoners, visitors and staff and which carries very severe penalties. "This legislative amendment, which is already before the Parliament, comes to complement the technical solutions, forming a modern, multi-level and effective institutional framework for the management of the problem," emphasizes Mr. Hartsiotis.
According to the Minister of Justice, the new mobile phone deactivation system, combined with the recent legislation, the completion of the installation of the new closed surveillance system, as well as the implementation of the legislation on mobile phone identification, are steps towards a safer prison environment that meets the needs of society and the principles of the rule of law. "The Ministry of Justice and Public Order remains faithful to its commitments and to the announcements of its minister for a definitive solution to an issue that has been going on since 2015. With innovative realistic planning and targeted interventions, the government is making good on its promise to install a modern and effective mobile phone deactivation system in the Central Prisons, in addition to all the other radical changes that have been implemented in the Prisons and that continue to be implemented", concluded Mr. Hartsiotis.
It is noted that since 2015, when efforts began to solve the problem with mobile phones in the Prisons, this has remained unresolved. The installation of a new and effective mobile phone blocking system without affecting the area of Agios Andreas, was a bet for the government, especially after court decisions pointed to the Prisons as the place where crimes were ordered. The operation of the mobile phone deactivation system is expected to be a kind of blow against organized crime, since from time to time prisoners of the Central Prisons are associated with criminal elements operating in society.
How the new system will work
According to information, the new system has a network of sensors which will be activated to detect the operation of illegal mobile phones inside the wards and in the other building facilities of the Prisons. When an illegal device attempts to connect to a mobile network or emits a signal, the system creates a simple, easy-to-understand heatmap and shows on a control screen in which zone there is suspicious traffic, almost in real time. Staff receive notifications and can immediately head to the right spot to locate the illegal device.
This facility will largely relieve the management of the Prisons from the continuous searches in the cells, the disturbance and the leaks to the convicts for surprise investigations by the Police will stop.
With the system that has been installed and is now being tested, it will "deaden" an area where there is illegal use of mobile phones and not the entire penitentiary as provided by the older system that also brought reactions from residents, Cyta, and even the British High Commission.
It is noted that the previous system was installed after many extensions in October 2020, while efforts had begun in 2015. Then came the 5G network and an agreement was made to upgrade the existing one to cover this network as well. After unsuccessful attempts, problems with the management, the system installed, was deemed to be unresponsive and so the contract was terminated in 2023.
