Cyprus releases minor offenders to ease prison overcrowding

Cyprus on Wednesday began releasing Cypriot and foreign nationals convicted of minor offenses under a presidential pardon, the Cyprus Mail reported.



The pardon was granted ahead of the Aug. 15 Feast of the Assumption, aiming to ease overcrowding in prisons and police detention facilities.



The Justice Ministry said those released met the relevant criteria and were on a list approved by the Law Office.



Authorities are also working to deport foreign minor offenders whose asylum applications have been rejected. Some will be deported immediately, while others are still undergoing deportation procedures.



The move comes amid serious overcrowding at Cyprus' Central Prison. The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture said in December 2025 that conditions at the prison remained very poor, with up to four inmates sharing cells of less than six square meters.