Cyprus Communities to Voice Grievances Over Planned Ayios Sozomenos Prison

The municipalities of South Nicosia‑Idalion and Latsia‑Yeri, home to about 60,000 residents, have announced they will meet Justice Minister Costas Fitiris to air their objections to the new central prison slated for Ayios Sozomenos. The towns argue that the site was chosen without prior consultation, unlike the original Mathiatis location that was abandoned after local opposition. They point to the prison’s proximity to an archaeological site and a Natura‑protected area, as well as existing industrial and agricultural activity that the land is earmarked for livestock farming under a national plan. The €300 million complex is intended to house 1,500 inmates, with construction slated to begin next year and finish in five years. The current Nicosia facility, the only southern prison, dates from the late nineteenth century.