The President of the European Commission for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe, CPT, Alan Mitchell, was informed yesterday about the projects and actions launched for the Central Prisons.
Although it was made public that the CPT would come to examine the situation in the prisons, a year after the previous inspection, the descent of Mr. Mitchell was referring to an event organized yesterday by the Commissioner for Administration, in cooperation with the Council of Europe, on the subject of the CPT report for 2025. The president of the CPT did not consider it appropriate to visit the Central Prisons, while he was informed in a private meeting he had with the Minister of Justice, the Ass. director of the Prisons and other factors. Mr. Fytiris informed the president of CPT about the actions that are underway aimed at improving the conditions of detention in the Central Prisons, as well as about the planning promoted in relation to the project of the new prisons. According to an announcement, Mr. Mitchell showed interest in the new prisons, living conditions as well as staff protests and got answers
Mr. Fytiris stressed earlier in his statements that the CPT's remarks "are a road map to fix things in the Central Prison that will be renamed a penitentiary". Regarding the new prisons, the minister said that the space has been found, "we also had a meeting some time ago with the Development Bank of the Council of Europe to see the possibility of funding. Our goal, he said, is to start the works as soon as possible, after the studies for the new complex in the area of Mathiatis are completed. We will have a master plan by September, beginning of October to be presented to the communities," he added.
Mr. Fyritis did not hide, stressing that the situation has not reached the desired point "and I cannot present things ideally, just what we are doing is to launch in the fastest way what is needed for the existing prisons. They cannot be modern, we have to be honest but our goal is in the transitional stage until the new prisons are built to improve as much as we can the conditions for both the prison staff and the prisoners", said Mr. Fytiris.
