Evagoras Pallikarides

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Evagoras Pallikarides (26 February 1938 - March 14, 1957) was an EOKA fighter during the 1955-1959 campaign against the British in Cyprus.

Pallikarides was born in Tsada, Paphos District, one of five children of Miltiades and Aphrodite Pallikaridis. He studied at the Greek High School of Paphos where, at age 15, he took part in his school's boycott of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.

When the EOKA struggle for Enosis broke out in 1955, Pallikaridis took part in several anti-British demonstrations and joined EOKA while he was 17. In one of these, in November 1955, in an effort to free a friend who had been arrested, he struck a British soldier and was arrested himself. He was ordered to appear for trial but instead joined one of the many EOKA guerrila groups that operated throughout Cyprus. For this, the colonial authorities put a £5,000 price on his head[citation needed].

Because of celebrations in honour of their queen, the British had raised Union Jack flags in all Cypriot schools. Paphos was the only town where celebrations were not held for the queen, as Evagoras had taken down the British flag although he knew full well what the consequences of such an act would be. He carried on his resistance with demonstrations and an assault on two British soldiers. Anticipating a conviction, he decided to take to the mountains.[citation needed].

In the next year, Pallikaridis took part in several operations with his team, while he fought in the mountains for a year with a reward of 5,000 pounds on his head. He was captured on December 18, 1956 with a gun in his possession - a capital offence under measures enacted by the British to combat EOKA.

"I know you will sentence me to death, but whatever I did, I did as a Cypriot who wants his liberty"
Evagoras Pallikarides, speaking during his trial where he was sentenced to death for the possession of a non working firearm[1] [2]

At his trial Pallikaridis did not deny possession of the weapon. He said he did what he had to do as a Cypriot seeking his freedom. He was sentenced to die for gun possession on February 27, 1957. Pallikaridis was hanged on March 14, 1957, at the age of 18. The lawfulness of his execution has been subsequently questioned in light of the fact that the weapon held by Pallikarides at the time was not functional. A.W.B. Simpson in his book Human Rights and the End of Empire, claims that the real reason for his execution was that the authorities believed, but were unable to prove, that he had earlier murdered an elderly individual who was a suspected collaborator with the British authorities. [3]

He was buried at the Imprisoned Tombs of the Central Jail of Nicosia.

[edit] Trivia

Evagoras Pallikarides wrote poetry, it is said that he has written over 300 poems. His most famous poem was about the freedom of Cyprus.

[edit] References

  1. ^ United States Congress, Committee on Foreign Affairs (1967). Hearings. U.S. Govt. Print. Off., p. 15. 
  2. ^ "Amendment to the Anglo-American Financial agreement.", 1957, pp. 15. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. 
  3. ^ Simpson, Alfred William Brian (2001). Human Rights and the End of Empire: Britain and the Genesis of the European Convention. Oxford University Press, p.876-877. ISBN 978-0199267897.