Giorgos Ioannou takes office as permanent director of central prisons

Retired brigadier Giorgos Ioannou was formally sworn in as the permanent director of the Cyprus Prisons Department on Monday, November 2, 2026. The appointment, confirmed by the Public Service Commission, marks the end of a nearly four-year period during which the facility was led by a succession of four different acting directors following the departure of Anna Aristotelous in late 2022.

The handover ceremony, attended by Justice Minister Costas Fytiris, the police chief, and various state officials, focused on themes of reform and accountability. Minister Fytiris emphasized that the new administration would tolerate no corruption or abuse of power. In his inaugural address, Ioannou, a former LOK special forces commander and military attaché to the United States, declared that the rules would be enforced strictly but fairly, stressing that no individual—inmate or otherwise—would be above the law. He pledged to uphold principles of meritocracy and equal treatment.

The Isotita prison officers' union welcomed the appointment, pledging their support while calling for urgent improvements to security protocols and the working conditions of staff. The new director faces the immediate challenge of modernizing the prison system and addressing long-standing security concerns while managing the daily operations of the facility.