An attack inside Cyprus’ central prisons was on Tuesday branded an “attempted murder” by a prisoners’ rights group, which called for an urgent police investigation.

The Association for the Protection of Prisoners’ and Ex-prisoners’ Rights said an inmate was brutally stabbed in what appears to be a targeted assault. The group’s president Alexandros Clerides met the victim and described his injuries as severe.

“It is truly difficult to describe this attack as anything other than an attempted murder,” Clerides said.

The victim claims the motive was personal disputes, not the alleged reasons given by attackers, including a disputed video filmed inside the prison.

He also reportedly questioned how he was left vulnerable in a wing with inmates who had been waiting to attack him.

The association has called on police to take immediate statements and urged the prisons board, the prison director and the justice ministry to demand a full briefing on the incident.

Authorities are under pressure to explain how the inmate, already under tighter restrictions due to a disciplinary probe, was left unprotected.

The group insists the attack was premeditated, not spontaneous.

An investigation is expected.