An association that protects prisoners' rights has asked the Justice Minister to declare an emergency. They say the conditions in the central prison are very bad. These conditions hurt basic human rights. The association wants immediate help. They want six months of special actions. This will help with too many prisoners. It will also help make a better prison policy for the future.
The association's president, Alexandros Clerides, sent a letter last Friday. He also made a public statement. The main idea is to use "immediate, extraordinary, drastic and exceptional measures". These measures will lower the number of people in prison. Mr. Clerides said that any death in prison is a failure of democracy. The association believes no one should die in prison.
A big part of the plan is to use the Christmas pardon. They want this pardon to be for all inmates. It should reduce their sentences. This should happen for everyone, not just those who usually qualify. This action will give the prison leaders more space. They can then create a better prison policy. The current problems make this difficult.
The association also has other ideas to help quickly. They want people serving sentences to use electronic monitoring. This will make more space in the prison buildings. They also suggest using electronic monitoring for prisoners in open prisons. This could allow prisoners from closed prisons to move to open ones. This will spread prisoners out better.
The association is also worried about foreign prisoners. They want foreign prisoners to be sent home quickly if they wish. Bureaucratic problems should not stop this. This can help with overcrowding. It also respects the wishes of these prisoners. The association thinks the situation is a humanitarian problem. It needs fast action. The proposed six-month emergency is a chance for big changes. The goal is a safer and more humane prison for everyone. The Justice Minister must now respond.