General Pattakos, the “strong
man” of the Greek Junta, and Col.
Ladas and Lt.-Col. Katsulis, two
of his executioners, “inspected”
the concentration camp on the
Istand of Yioura. What-this meant
is described in the letter Novosti
Press Agency received from the
inmates of this fascist prison.

N MAY 29 we received our
second “visit” from Home
Minister Pattakos. Arrog-

ant and insolent, he literally
burst into the “hospital” to see
the sick political prisoners,
which the Junta has cast on this
waterless, rocky island. Casually
inspecting the rows of the very
sick patient he offhandedly lis-
tened to their complaints res-
ponding in a most imsolent way.
To some he snapped back “Now,
if you’re ill why don’t you sign
the statement that you repudiate
your views?”

Pattakos shouted at the poli-
tical prisoners: “You all have
addled brains. You’re all crazy!”

Kiriakos Tsakiris, one of the
sick men, could not restrain

us?”

Pattakos shouted at him “And
who are you?”

The prisoner replied with dig-
nity: “Like all others here I re-
present democracy. You’re an
outlaw. We’re the people. You’re
a handful of army officers who
represent no one.”

The General’s only “argu-
ment” was “Shut up you, fool”.

With killing sarcasm Tsakiris
observed: “Now just look at this
Minister’s behaviour! As for the
‘fool,” I return the epithet”.

Furious, Pattakos shouted:
“Put him in solitary confine-
ment!” And the sick man was
dragged away.

In another hospital hut the
General asked a young man what
they had been taught in the
Democratic Youth of Lambrakis
organization. A doctor and poli-
tical prisoner by the name of
Siganos who was there at the
time told the Minister: “They
were taught to love freedom,
their country and democracy!”

In a rage Pattakos at once
instructed the jailers to separate
the students from the other pri-
soners.

There are many elderly prison-
ers on the island of Yioura. Pat-
takos walked up to one of them,
the previously sick 57-year-old
Georghis Diamantis and asked
him why he wouldn’t sign a
document repudiating his views.
The latter cried: “I am true to
democracy!”

The Minister yelled in fury:

himself: “Why do you swear at-

RTH

From fascist prisons

“If your brains are more dise-
ased than your kidneys, then
you can remain-here till you
die!’

Passing by the cot of M. P.
Kopulis, who was bed-ridden
after a heart attack, the General
said: “You were arrested for be-
ing a member of an underground
organization.”

With dignity Kopulis replied
that the only “underground or-
ganization” of which he had
been a member had been Parlia-
ment.

On June 2, VIPs from the

Home Office, Junta members Col. .

Ladas and Lt.-Col. Katsulis visit-
ed the island. To all questions
put by the prisoners they gave
the stereotype answer: “If you
don’t sign a statement renounc-
ing your views your bones will
remain to rot on this island!”

Going into the hospital © hut,
where the seriously sick lay,
these fascists declared “You'll
go out when you_ become
Greeks!” :

In Hut No. 4 the “inspectors”
repeated their threats, shouting:
“All of you here will die!’ To
this political prisoner Tampura-
kis courageously told the ring
leader of the gang of jailers:
“That doesn’t depend on you!”

The “black colonels” ordered
that Tampurakis be placed in
solitary confinement at once.

Greek M. P. Maria Karageorgi
tried to ask the “inspectors”
several questions about improv-
ing the lot of the pregnant
women and mothers with little
children among the political pri-
soners. The “inspectors” refused
to listen. Instead, Ladas and Kat-
sulis suggested she sign a state-
ment renouncing her views.
However, she proudly declared:
“How you dare to say that to a
Member of Parliament!”

Then the representatives of
the Junta suggested she pledge
to take no part in politics if re-
leased.

The brave woman cast in the
teeth of the executioners: “I
shall not only take part in poli-
tics but also do all in my power
to have the dictatorship deposed
and order restored in the coun-
try!”

“Then you'll die here!” Col.

. Ladas shouted.

After the representatives of
the Junta left the Island the
warders strung up barbed wire
between the different huts to
prevent the political prisoners
from mingling.

We are forbidden to see our
relatives. We get letters very
rarely not oftener than once
every six weeks.

The former Government.
Minister, Andreds Papari-
dreou, has been charged
and committed for trial on
charges of high treason by
an Athens court, it was reli-
ably learned.

Andreas, son of former
Fremier Georges Papandre-
ou, leader of the Centre
Union Party, was accused of
being involved in the “‘Aspi-
da” (the shield) plot.

He was first accused and
jailed on April 26, a few
days after the military coup
in this country.

The indictment also
charged ten other civilians
in connection with the Aspi-
da case.

Aspida was the name
given to a group which in-
cluded 15 army officers jail-
ed from two to 18 years last
March for allegedly plotting
to overthrow the regime and
establish a non-aligned po-
licy for the country.

Andreas, who studied at
Harvard University in the
United States and held staff
posts in other American uni-
versities, entered Greek po-
litics in 1963.

During the trial of the
army officers he was named
by the indictment and some
witnesses as the leader of
Aspida.

The indictment — by the
Council of Magistrates of
the Athens Court accepted
the proposal submitted by
the public prosecutor and
committed Papandreou to
be tried by an Athens cri-
minal court later this year.

RESISTANCE

HE voice of the united re-
sistance movement against
the Greek dictatorship has

been heard in the centre of
Athens. Two large loudspeakers
on the third-floor balcony of an
office block in a principal street
broadcast -a tape-recorded call
for action for nearly 15 minutes
at about 9 a.m., when the street
was crowded with people.

The broadcast was heard in
its entirety because notices had
been placed on the loudspeakers
saying that the apparatus was
linked to,an explosive charge
which would be detonated by
any interference.

Greek Resistance sources,
reporting the broadcast — which
took place last month—said it
was audible over a wide area.

It was regarded by many peo-
ple as an act of resistance com-
parable with the hauling down
of the nazi flag from the Acro-
polis in the war years.

That was the first important
act of resistance at the time, the
forerunner of the decisive strug-
gle which followed.

The broadcast was made by
the Patriotic Anti-Dictgtorial
Front, which has been \'stab-
lished by members of all parties
—Left, Centre and Right.

The banner remained in posi-
tion for about ten minutes, dur-
ing which a shower of leaflets
came from a neighboring build-
ing. A further shower of leaflets
was scattered later from an-
other point in Athens.

GREECE

Appeal to

By PHYLLIS CLARKE

S hundreds picketed the
Granite Club in Toronto
wheré King Constantine of

Greece was being feted, in a
downtown hotel a quiet spoken
Greek lawyer and former mem-
ber of parliament was telling the
press, ‘““The king was the moral
accomplice of the coup and his
policies up to now put him ina
position to be judged harshly
when the time comes to clean
uD.

Dr. Stratis Someritis; one of
cight Greeks whose citizenship
has been revoked by the military
junta, was in Canada as a repre-
sentative of the European com-
mittees for restoration of democ-
racy in Greece to meet with the
committees on this continent.
To date there are four in Cana-
da and 45 in the United States.

The situation in Greece, he
said, was so tragic that it is
“worthy of all democratic peo-
ple in the world getting involv-

ed ”

“Since the night of April 21
the Greek people have been liv-
ing under a state of violence
which does not permit the exist-
ence of another opinion. All civil
and human rights have been sus-
pended. The concentration
camps remind us of the worst
days of fascism in the world.”

He added that it is estimated
that at least 120,000 people have
gone through police stations to
have their “national beliefs”
checked out, and that now the
200,000 civil servants were being
put through the same process.
“One criteria is what a person
did during the Nazi occupation
of Greece,’ he added. “If you
were part of the resistance to
the nazis then you are consider-
ed to be sympathetic to com-
munism.”

The imposition of the fascist
regime in Greece, he declared,
was an “insult to all of demo-
cratic humanity.” Someritis ap-
pealed to all democratic people
who fought against Hitler and
fascism to exert pressure so that
the fall of the regime might be
speeded. He suggested that there
were a number of organizations
in which pressure could be ex-

Canadi

erted against the on f
junta such as per Tal

Canada is a mem

\

the Council of EUrOP ig :
In relation to OG ih

put forward the ¥!

crete ke
the expulsion of Greet! 4

of the lack of
this would lead } ith
pressure. He pointe rept
the delegates who ha eel!
ed Greece at the last ;
the Council of BuroPy
of ten were now !f i 5
The role of the Un jet
in the loss of Greek Sol
was also scored Hi if
He pointed out ta
had imposed @ bay suf
aid, or even on fue
the first 48 be
junta would havé
ed.
Also present -
ference were TEPl”
the Montreal C

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ean
hours: ni

es
the on by
at tat dh

Restoration 9° i i

Greece.
In addition t
established in o

from all the ue
ties and a repre’. atio”
Confederation © a nizt
Unions.

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The aim of ag “he
the restoration ine oF?

tional rights of

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holding a proves abel "

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and the unconditi si
all citizens UM” oll
arrested. ese ou

committee ee .
following StPS jg Mf
the Sept. 6 meet publ! :
“1. To infor?” pect dh
the situation 7 pid
Hes VC; provide ch is . A
to the petition ine) ell
ed to King Consta® port |
more people thé opr
sign it. h the fi’
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regime.

of Labor Lawyers.

dorakis’ life.

The Greek military Government has "7 hot
the fact that combos Mikis Theodorakis” aed Na
music of “Zorba the Greek”—had been ph
security police in Athens last week.

Mr. Theodorakis, an M.P. of the 9
(United Democratic Left) party, has beet
banned Lambrakis Democratic Youth me?
Athens hiding place since last April's Army i agcol ih

Mr, Vano Muradeli, chairman 0
of the Soviet composers’ union, demane 4g ;
the weekend that he should be freed, 0” orakis petty
Greek authorities who have arrested Tt . e y
detain his free-winging song c

Two British lawyers flew t
trace the whereabouts of composef
to have been arrested eight days 9° tt,

s that live 7 per ght y,
o Athens 108) odo

The two are Lord Gifford, treasure?
tional, and Mr. Cedric Thornberry, sect?

Lord Gifford said they hoped t
ister of the Interior, and also Mr.
is held on a charge of high treasom™ |

Mrs. Elli Theodorakis, the compos! * the °
is now in London, has sent a teleg
begging him to act while there 's stt

« oe

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ram

Demonstration at Toronto's Granite Club.

September 15, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 4