Central Prisons Murder: Sentences for Prison Guards

The Nicosia Criminal Court sentenced three prison guards for the death of Turkish Cypriot prisoner Tansou Tsintan in Central Prisons.

Two prison guards were sentenced to three years in prison for manslaughter by negligence. A third prison guard received an 18-month sentence suspended for three years for causing death by reckless act.

The main defendant, guilty of premeditated murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Another convict received a prison sentence for possession and supply of narcotics.

The decision was unanimous regarding the length of the sentence, but there was disagreement regarding the suspension of the sentence for the two prison guards. The court took into account the clean criminal record of the prison guards and the systemic problems of the prisons.

Judge Maria Loizou disagreed, arguing that the prison guards were acting in a flawed system and should not be punished as an example.