Sixty-eight prisoners released in Cyprus following presidential pardon

On August 12, 2026, authorities in Cyprus began the release of 68 prisoners granted a presidential pardon ahead of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary holiday on August 15. The initiative, approved by President Nikos Christodoulides, was developed in cooperation with the Attorney General and prison administration to address severe overcrowding. The Central Prisons currently hold over 1,100 inmates, significantly exceeding the facility's capacity of 800.

The released group consists of 27 Cypriot nationals and 41 foreign citizens. Inmates convicted of drug trafficking or sexual offenses, as well as those who have not served at least half of their sentence, were excluded from the pardon. For some of the foreign nationals released, deportation procedures have already been initiated by the Deputy Ministry of Migration, with individuals being processed for transfer to the detention center at Menoyia.

This measure is part of an ongoing effort to alleviate pressure on the penal system while ensuring public safety. The Ministry of Justice has stated that authorities will continue to pursue lawful methods to manage prison populations in compliance with national legislation and international conventions, while continuing the processing of repatriation cases for those whose asylum applications were previously rejected.