Justice can only be served by punishing those responsible for the death of soldier Thanasis Nicolaou in 2005, his mother, Andriana Nicolaou, said on Thursday, following the release of an independent investigation report into the case.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, she reiterated her readiness to proceed with private criminal prosecutions.

The long-awaited report, prepared by two criminal investigators, was submitted to the government on Wednesday. While Andriana Nicolaou had initially requested that it not be sent to the attorney-general, President Nikos Christodoulides called her to explain that, under the constitution, this was a required procedure.

The cabinet subsequently decided to provide her with a copy of the report.

However, she said she did not expect much from the attorney-general’s office.

“The report will be studied by those who stood against us in court,” she said.

She added that she intends to proceed with private criminal prosecutions against those named in the report and potentially others not mentioned.

“My child was bullied by certain individuals and murdered because he saw them using drugs in the army. They cannot go unpunished,” she said.

Asked if she felt vindicated by the findings of the investigation, which appears to confirm criminal action, Andriana Nicolaou said, “I do not feel vindicated, but a moral satisfaction that I managed – and I praise God – to restore the memory of my son, whose name was marred with the stigma of suicide.”

On Wednesday, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis confirmed that the investigators completed their work on March 7, following a final extension granted by the cabinet.

The report was delivered to the cabinet secretary and it was to be forwarded to the attorney-general, in line with Article 113 of the constitution.

The investigation aimed to determine whether any criminal offences were committed in relation to Nicolaou’s death, a case that has drawn significant public and media attention for nearly two decades.

In 2005, 26-year-old national guardsman Thanasis Nicolaou was found dead under a bridge in Cyprus. Authorities ruled it a suicide, but his mother, Andriana Nicolaou, fought for years to prove it was murder. A 2020 exhumation revealed signs of strangulation and in 2024 a coroner confirmed his death was homicide.

Despite this, no one has been charged. Andriana accuses authorities of a cover-up and opposes the attorney-general receiving the case report, fearing further inaction.

Letymbiotis, however, insisted that legal procedures must be followed.

“The constitution is clear, and in an organised state, there is no alternative process,” he said.

He added that President Christodoulides had personally spoken to Andriana Nicolaou to explain both the legal procedure and the cabinet’s decision to provide her with a copy of the report.