Costas Papacostas

{{Short description|Cypriot politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Costas Papacostas

|native_name = Κώστας Παπακώστας

|native_name_lang = el

|image =

|office = 19th Minister of Defence

|term_start = 28 February 2008

|term_end = 14 July 2011

|predecessor = Christodoulos Pasiardis

|successor = Demetris Eliades

|birth_date = {{birth date|1939|11|12|df=y}}

|birth_place = Ayia Trias, Cyprus

|signature =

|death_date = {{death date and age|2016|09|21|1939|11|12|df=y}}

|death_place = Nicosia, Cyprus

|party = Progressive Party of Working People

|spouse =

|children =

|alma_mater =

}}

Costas Papacostas ({{langx|el|Κώστας Παπακώστας}}; 12 November 1939 – 21 September 2015) was the Cypriot Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011. Following the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base explosion he resigned as Minister of Defence{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14115103|title=Cyprus: Navy chief killed by base munitions blast|date=11 July 2011|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=12 July 2011}} and was succeeded by Demetris Eliades, the Minister of Agriculture.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.cyprusnewsreport.com/?q=node/4366 |title=Demetris Eliades New Defence Minister |publisher=cyprusnewsreport.com |date=14 July 2011 |accessdate=20 April 2014}} In July 2013 he was found guilty of manslaughter, with the court saying he “closed his eyes to the danger” regarding the storage of explosives, for which he received a sentence of 5 years imprisonment.{{cite web|author= |url=http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/08/02/jail-for-four-found-guilty-in-mari-blast/ |title=Jail for four found guilty in Mari blast |publisher=CyprusMail |date=2 August 2013 |accessdate=20 April 2014}}

Papacostas was born in Ayia Trias in Cyprus. From 1955 to 1959 he took part in the EOKA armed resistance against the British. In 1966 he joined the Cypriot National Guard and was twice seconded to the Cypriot police. Papacostas retired from the Army in 1984 having risen to the rank of colonel. He was elected to the House of Representatives representing Famagusta District for Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) on 26 May 1996 and re-elected in 2001 and 2006.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.mod.gov.cy/mod/mod.nsf/All/5822ED96EB512CC6C22572E40020DA18?OpenDocument |title=Biographical Note Costas Papacostas |publisher=Ministry of Defence |date= |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618031221/http://www.mod.gov.cy/mod/mod.nsf/All/5822ED96EB512CC6C22572E40020DA18?OpenDocument |archivedate=18 June 2011}}