Filenews 4 December 2025 - by Theodora Nikolaou
An extension for another year to the detention of children in a special area within the Central Prisons was given by the Parliament, which approved the relevant amendment to the law submitted by the Ministry of Justice, as the projects for the creation of juvenile prisons in the Limnes pre-removal center in Mennogeia have not yet been completed.
With a bill submitted to the Parliament, the Ministry of Justice requested that the date of 1/1/2026, set by law for the detention of children sentenced to imprisonment in a special detention facility within prisons, be extended, until the start of operation of a child detention facility. The extension period of the existing legislation is estimated to be no longer than 31 December 2026.
It is recalled that according to a decision of the Government, the juvenile prisons will be erected in the current immigrant detention facility (HOKAM) in Mennogia. The migrants detained there will be transferred to the Limnes Center in the same area, which is not yet ready, while the premises in Mennogeia must be renovated to be child-friendly. The juveniles on trial will also be held in the same place, in order to solve a chronic problem. It is noted that the Parliament had already given an extension for the creation of a juvenile detention area, due to the change in its use, since according to the original bill, it was provided that its security and management would be carried out by a private individual, while now everything will be handled by the state, except for its operation.
In the context of the discussion of the bill, the representative of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, after analyzing the aims and objectives of the proposed regulations, informed the committee that the law under amendment provides, among other things, for the operation of a special place of detention for children outside the Prison Department for the exceptional cases in which it is deemed necessary to impose this sentence by the Children's Court, A space that must have a reformative, pedagogical, therapeutic and welfare character. In accordance with the law, children aged sixteen to twenty-one who are sentenced by the Children's Court to detention for an offense committed before the age of eighteen or for whom their pre-trial detention is ordered by the Children's Court will be detained in this area.
Regarding the timetable for the construction of the child detention area, which must be suitable for the detention of children, the same representative informed the committee that its construction is expected to be completed by the end of next year, as the space has been decided and the relevant construction plans have already been completed. Furthermore, as he mentioned, the operation of this space is a priority for the state, however it is a complex issue that requires the cooperation of many authorities and services of the Republic and careful study due to the child-centered nature it must have.
Regarding the facilities of the specially designed space within the Prison Department that has been used since 2021 for this purpose, the same representative informed the committee that it was judged in the decision of the Court of Appeal in the criminal appeal no. 258/2025, dated October 15, 2025, that they meet the requirements of the legislation under amendment and are satisfactory.
The Deputy Director of the Prison Department informed the committee about the operation of the special wing within the area of the Prison Department where young people up to twenty-one years old are currently being held and that the necessary arrangements have been made so that these persons do not come into contact with other adult prisoners.
During the discussion in the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, its members again expressed the same concerns as the last time a similar extension was granted, i.e. in March 2024, as according to the legislation under amendment, the space in question should have operated one year after its entry into force, i.e. in April 2022.
In light of the above, the committee, with the consent of the Minister of Justice and Public Order, as expressed in a relevant letter, dated November 10, 2025, decided to amend the text of the bill, in order to establish the obligation to inform the House of Representatives every two months by the Minister of Justice and Public Order regarding the progress of the works carried out for the construction of the special child detention area.
In his statement before the Plenary Session of the Parliament, the MP of the Parliament, Charalambos Theopemptou, spoke against it because, as he said, he cannot accept that they will stay for another year in places where they should not. "It is unacceptable that the years go by and such an important part as this is left behind," he added.
AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtidis said that when they visited the prisons they found that "minors come into contact with adult convicts both in the gym and in the courtyard and in the kitchen. If you consider that prisons today are a crime directorate, juveniles can also be the chicos of this directorate. They learn the job well," he added. "Now the Government comes and asks for an extension for the third time. What if at the end of 2026 this dilemma comes again? The Government has one month to do everything possible to have detention facilities for minors, because we cannot be accomplices in this violation. Obviously we will vote against it," he stressed.
Alexandra Attalidou said that she herself is voting against it because it is unacceptable for children to be in a place where they should not exist. "Children, whether they are ours or strangers, are the future of humanity. I'm very sorry. They have had too much time since 2022 and they are simply not moving forward to do what they have to do," he said characteristically.
DISY MP Fotini Tsiridou stressed that they will give the extension but it will be the last time. "Let this very special issue finally be given priority," he said.
With 18 votes in favour, 10 against and 2 abstentions, the bill was passed into law.
