Brazilian trans woman held in high security male wing of central prison

The 23-year-old Brazilian trans woman, who is currently serving a six-year sentence in the central prison for drug smuggling is being held in isolation in the high-security psychiatric unit of the central prison, the Brazilian embassy told the Cyprus Mail on Friday.

“We have been monitoring the situation ever since her arrest,” the embassy said.

It added that embassy staff paid regular visits to the woman and had reached out to the prisons department in a relevant letter.

“We requested her transfer to the female wing or to a place where her safety can be assured due to the nature of her gender identity” the embassy said. It added that the isolation facility was within the men’s wing.

Documents confirming that the woman’s gender identity is legally recognised have been sent to the authorities, the embassy said and confirmed that her passport identifies her as a woman.

It added that transgender inmates in Brazilian prisons were given the opportunity to opt either for the female or male wing of the prison, however, emphasised that she can currently not be repatriated to her homeland due to the lack of an extradition accord between Cyprus and Brazil.

The embassy assured its commitment to provide relevant support and referred to a different case of a Brazilian national, who was found guilty in Cyprus and had to serve his sentence in the Republic.

In that case, the inmate served part of his sentence on the island, and later appealed to the Attorney General, requesting a transfer to Brazil which was eventually granted.

The embassy suggested that this might also be a possibility for the woman.

The Brazilian foreign ministry has since been informed about the case and the embassy assured that it remained in close contact with the prisoner’s family and friends to keep them informed.

Defence lawyer Evanthia Constantinou warned that the woman’s mental health was at risk from the isolation and highlighted her client’s lack of proficiency in English or Greek would further compound the challenges of life in prison.

The woman is serving a sentence for smuggling 890g of cocaine and has been transferred to a separate area of the central prison, amid concerns she could be subjected to violence by other inmates.

Constantinou had appealed to the authorities to reassess the arrangement and follow European guidelines to establish a permanent solution that fully respects her client’s dignity.

The prison department had previously described the woman’s current placement as “temporary” and has said it has issued special instructions for her supervision and protection.