New Central Prisons to be built at Agios Sozomenos after Mathiatis dropped
Cyprus has settled on Agios Sozomenos as the site for its new Central Prisons, abandoning the original choice of Mathiatis after local opposition and infrastructure concerns.
The new Central Prisons will be built at Agios Sozomenos, according to reports on the programme "Protoselido", after the government dropped its original plan to place them at Mathiatis. The decision followed a fresh meeting at the Ministry of Justice, as the Mathiatis option had stirred strong reactions from the local community.
According to the same reports, Agios Sozomenos was selected after an assessment of technical and financial data, with the total cost of the project and the time needed to build the necessary supporting infrastructure as the main criteria.
Mathiatis had been the initial choice, but further technical examination found that developing the project there would require substantial additional infrastructure, including road and sewerage networks, water supply and electricity. By contrast, the state-owned plot at Agios Sozomenos is said to offer significant advantages, since basic road, sewerage, water and power infrastructure already exists in the wider area.
State land in the area covers roughly three million square metres. Another factor setting the site apart from Mathiatis is its distance from residential zones: Agios Sozomenos is essentially uninhabited, with the nearest homes towards the Potamia area.
Still, the choice raises questions. Two quarries and farms operate in the wider area, alongside a shooting range and listed monuments. Part of the area falls under Natura, it borders the buffer zone and is used for hunting. The first reactions have already come from hunters, while questions remain over how existing activities and facilities will be affected by the prison complex.
Affected communities are demanding explanations and official briefing, saying there was no consultation with them before the decision was taken. According to the reports, a letter was to be sent to the President of the Republic seeking explanations for the decision. The exact location of the facilities, the final footprint of the new Central Prisons and how they will coexist with other uses of the area are now key questions awaiting further clarification from the government.
What it means for residents
The prison project is moving to a sparsely populated area near the buffer zone, so most residents of Nicosia and the surrounding villages will not feel it in daily life yet. What matters now is how the state handles the land, roads and protected zones around the site.
- Land and nature: Part of the area is Natura-protected and borders the buffer zone, so how the project is zoned could affect access to the countryside.
- Local business: Quarries, farms and the shooting range operate nearby; residents should watch for announcements on whether those activities continue.
- Next steps: Affected communities say they were not consulted and are asking the government for details, so expect public meetings and updates in the coming weeks.
info.cy editorial team. This note was prepared with the help of AI.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
