Cyprus environmentalists raise concerns over moving prisons to Ayios Sozomenos — Cyprus Mail
The Ecologists environmental party in Cyprus has expressed concern over plans to relocate the central prisons to Ayios Sozomenos. The party said the proposed site could affect areas included in the Natura 2000 conservation network.
As Cyprus Mail reports, environmentalists called on the government not to begin planning before consulting local authorities and residents of nearby areas. The party stressed the archaeological and natural value of Ayios Sozomenos and demanded a full assessment of all factors before a decision on the project is made.
Why the location was changed
Last week, the government abandoned Mathiatis as the proposed location for the new prison and moved the project to Ayios Sozomenos. Justice Minister Kostas Fytidis explained the change by citing cost and time considerations: the Ayios Sozomenos site already has road, water, electricity and sewage infrastructure.
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The estimated cost of the facility is €300 million, and it will have capacity for 1,500 prisoners. Construction is planned to begin next year and be completed within five years.
Municipalities' objections
The municipalities of South Nicosia-Idalion and Latsia-Geri, whose boundaries adjoin Ayios Sozomenos, also opposed the new location. They called for the decision on the site to be revoked, noting that the area already contains quarries, pig farms, livestock waste processing facilities and an EAC overhead power line.
The municipalities also said the area is designated for livestock development under a state plan to restore the sector. The Akel party separately called for a study and consultations with local authorities. Ayios Sozomenos, located near the Green Line, was abandoned after intercommunal violence; the former village retains a Byzantine cave chapel, the unfinished Latin Church of Saint Mamas, and the remains of mud-brick houses of its former Turkish Cypriot residents.
