Mother of murdered prison inmate says he was tortured

The mother of 41-year-old Turkish Cypriot Tansu Cidan, who died at the Nicosia prison last week, said she will seek justice for her son who was “tortured and murdered”.

Ten prison guards have been suspended following Cidan’s death and eight fellow inmates have been remanded, with police investigating premeditated murder.

His mother, speaking after the funeral – held in occupied Morphou on Wednesday – said that Cidan was tortured for three days and died because he was beaten.

She emphasised that the prison authorities cannot ignore this and said that she will seek justice, calling on the north’s ‘government’ for assistance in the case – claiming that the Greek Cypriot prison guards ignored the brutality.

It is understood that Cidan was bludgeoned to death with blunt objects.

Cidan’s wife said that the body was covered in marks, bruises, wounds and that his nose was broken, the Cyprus News Agency reported.

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has previously commented on the case, stating that: “Such a serious incident in prison, where the Greek Cypriot side (Republic of Cyprus) is responsible for ensuring the safety and protection of human life, is problematic and the result of great negligence.”

He added that the north is monitoring the case closely.

Alphanews reported that two separate attacks took place over a 36-hour period as the victim suffered a beating on Wednesday morning, but the fatal attack occurred on Thursday evening.

The victim was seen on CCTV footage at about 1pm on Thursday, about eight hours before his death, standing next to the prime suspect in the case – a 45-year-old.

Eight prisoners were remanded by Nicosia district court on Saturday in connection with the attack. They were arrested late on Friday.

The prime suspect is described as of Turkish origin, with initial reports stating he was Kurdish. Another five suspects are also described as being of Turkish origin.

Authorities identified three individuals from CCTV footage from the wing where Cidan was being housed. They had presented their IDs and were the last people who appear to enter the victim’s cell before he was found dead.

Cidan had been arrested in April for drugs possession with intent to supply. He was serving a long-term sentence for “multiple crimes”, reported to include eight years for possession of a significant quantity of drugs.

Police Chief Stelios Papatheodorou said last week that it currently appears unlikely that there was any involvement from persons outside the prison.

The Nicosia central prisons has been the centre of significant controversy following claims and counterclaims of corruption, rampant drug use – and even murders being orchestrated from behind bars.

Three separate investigations into the prisons have been conducted in recent months, with prisons director Anna Aristotelous stating that she wants to move post.

Despite the scandals, Netflix recently aired a “utopian” depiction of the prison – showing bingo events and portraying a lax atmosphere.