Nicosia criminal court allows new witness in central prisons document case

The Nicosia criminal court ruled on Tuesday to allow the prosecution to add a new witness to its list in the ongoing trial concerning the theft of thousands of documents from the central prisons. The court dismissed an objection from the defense, concluding that the prosecution had followed proper disclosure requirements by informing the defense via email on October 15, 2026, regarding the intention to add the witness, the witness's name, and the substance of their testimony, in accordance with Article 111 of the Criminal Procedure Law.

The newly admitted witness is a police officer who is expected to present exhibits discovered at the residence of the chief prison warder, who is one of eight defendants in the case. Following the court’s decision, lead prosecutor Vasilis Bisas indicated the officer would be the first witness called to testify. Although the trial had previously remained in the discovery stage, this testimony marks the start of the substantive proceedings.

Following the ruling, the court granted a defense request for an adjournment as the attorney for defendant Anna Aristotelous was attending a press conference. While the judge expressed dissatisfaction with recurring delays, the next hearing was set for November 5, with the police officer’s testimony scheduled for that Thursday.