Thousands of secret documents found at the head of prison security’s home in Nicosia

The police and the Legal Service are investigating a high-profile case of the unlawful removal of official documentation from Nicosia Central Prison.

On April 10, 2025, a search of the home of a prison service employee uncovered a massive collection of state materials. Among them were prisoner files, correspondence between the Department of Prisons and other authorities, prison facility plans and architectural blueprints, as well as digital media containing video recordings and data. Some of the documents were marked “secret” and “confidential,” with the total volume estimated at around 300,000 pages.

On May 23, at the request of the police, the Nicosia District Court remanded five suspects in custody for seven days: four prison guards and a police academy trainee. They were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, abuse of office, breach of secrecy, unlawful possession of property, and violations of personal data protection legislation. A week later, on May 30, all five were released, but the investigation continues.

Case files indicate that documents were removed from the prison’s administrative block via a service staircase, packed into fabric bags, and in some instances transported using Department of Prisons vehicles. During the house search of the prison employee, bags labeled “Cyprus Prisons Department” and a large quantity of data carriers were found.

The discovery of documents bearing security classifications among the seized materials raised serious concerns for investigators regarding potential risks to the safety of the penitentiary system.

On September 9, the Supreme Court of Cyprus rejected an appeal by one of the suspects seeking to declare the search warrant unlawful. This ruling confirmed the legality of the police’s procedural actions and allowed the investigation to continue with expert analyses and comparison of the seized materials with prison document archives from 2018–2022.

According to media reports, the investigation files have been handed over to the Legal Service for legal assessment and preparation of possible indictments. No formal charges have yet been filed, with the police stressing that the investigation is ongoing and urging against premature conclusions.