Aléxandros Panagoúlis

Aléxandros Panagoúlis (in Greek Αλέξανδρος Παναγούλης ) (July 2nd 1939 - May 1st 1976), politician and Greek poet. It took an active part in the fight against the Dictature of the colonels (1967 - 1974). Universally known for its heroic action, in particular for the assassination attempt against the dictator G. Papadopoulos the August 13rd 1968, but also for its resistance to tortures which it underwent. With the restoration of the democracy, he was elected appointed Union of the center (E.K.).

Biography

Aléxandros Panagoúlis was born with Glyfáda (Athens). Wire of Athéna and Vassilios Panagoúlis, officière of the Greek army. Younger brother of Yeóryios Panagoúlis, victim of the mode of the colonels, and elder of Eustathios, another politician. He studied with the national Polytechnic school of Athens (Metsovion), which he left electrical engineer.

Policy

Free spirit and democratic, as of its youth, Aléxandros Panagoúlis integrated into the Democratic forces of Greece the Union of the Center (E.K.) under the leadership of Yeóryios Papandréou. Concretely, it adhered to the local youthful organization of the party - youthful Organization of the Union of the Center (O.N.E.K.) renamed Hellenic democratic Jeunesse (E.DI.N) - with Glyfáda, before becoming its president the September 3rd 1974, after the return of the democratic regime.

Resistance to the dictatorship

Aléxandros Panagoúlis took an active part in the fight for the return to the democracy and against the military regime of G. Papadópoulos (1967-1974). He deserted his station in the military service because of his democratic convictions and founded the organization national Résistance . He car-exiled himself with Cyprus to conceive an action plan there. Returned to Greece, it planned, with its collaborator close relations, the assassination of the Papadópoulos dictator the August 13rd 1968 close to Varkyza. Its action failed and it was stopped. He was tortured of multriples time and never he did not give names. Judged by faked Greek military tribunals the November 3rd 1968, it was condemned to died with other members of national Résistance the November 17th 1968, and then transported with Aigyna for execution. But, thanks to the intervention of the international community and of its friendships, the dictators never dared to carry out the sorrow. The November 25th 1968, A. Panagoúlis was off-set of Aigyna to the military prisons of Bogiati (S.F.B.).

During its imprisonment, Aléxandros Panagoúlis refused the proposal for a collaboration which the dictatorship offered; it was subjected to dreadful physical and mental tortures. He escaped from the prison on June 5th, 1969. He is stopped again and leads temporarily to the barracks of Goudi before being brought back one month later to the prison of Bogiati, where he was locked up in the insulation of the cell “ fall ”, prison built especially for him cresée under ground, of hardly 2m length on 1m50 top. He will try several times to again escape, without success.

He will also refuse to profit from the general amnesty granted by the mode of the colonels to the political prisoners - after international pressures - and will be finally released later, at the summer 1973. He exiles himself once again, with Florence, in Italy, in order to give new breath to resistance.

Restoration of the democracy

During the re-establishment of the democracy, Aléxandros Panagoúlis is presented to the elections of November 1974 with the ticket of the Union of the center - News forces (E.K. - NR. D.). He is elected appointed of Athens, and continues, as a deputy, hunting for the politicians who collaborated with the dictatorial mode while launching against them a series of charges. Shortly after its election, it breaks with the leadership of its party. Perhaps disappointed, but decided, he resigns of the party but guard his seat at the Greek Parliament in the capacity as independent. He will maintain his charges and will enter an open confrontation with the Minister for National defense, Evangelos Averoff, and others. He will be in his turn the object of pressures and counter-attacks.

May 1st 1976, at the 38 years age, Panagoúlis is killed in an car accident, following a track race (not the first) where it was tracked by henchmen of Averoff, on the Vouliagmenis avenue (Athens), and this, a few days before the revelation of the file about the security agents of the military junta (file E.S.A.). It had already escaped with several attempted murders on behalf of political opponents. Hero of the democracy which contributed to the international insulation of the dictatorial mode, Aléxandros Panagoúlis definitively was isolated of the political combat by the fatal accident which thus deprived the country of the truths that he knew and which would have probably led Greece to other choices and other courses.

The day of its burial, of the million Greeks massed in the streets of Athens to pay homage to him.

Poetic work

Aléxandros Panagoúlis was daily the object of atrocious tortures during all its detention. Its self-control, its discipline, and its obstinacy for defends its convictions, as its thorough humor were used to him of shields and weapon of prevention against body and mental violences. In the prison of Bogiati, he wrote his best poems on the walls of his cell or microscopic papers with ink, often his own blood. Many of its poems remain unknown until today because of the dictatorship. However, it had succeeded in making some leave some the prison in various ways, while others, it rewrote them later on thanks to its fabulous memory. With Milan, after its release, it will publish some of those in books (bilingual in Greek and Italian)), under the title VI scrivo da a carcere in Grecia (I write to you of a prison in Greece) with an introductory note of the famous Italian artist Pier Paolo Pasolini. Admittedly, it had several publications in Greek, like the collection entitled painting (E bogia).

Poems

Promesse

the tears which you will see running

our eyes

you them never do not believe

They are signs of despair.

Promesse is only

For the combat promise

(military Prison of Bogiati, February 1972)

VI scrivo da a carcere in Grecia , 1974

My address

Box of matches as pencil

Blood with the floor poured for ink

the forgotten packing of the gauze as paper

Which do I clean?

My address only I arrive

It am strange ink and become solid

Of a prison I write to you

In Greece

(military Prison of Bogiati, on June 5th, 1971 - after drubbing)

VI scrivo da a carcere in Grecia , 1974.

Symbol

The life and the work of Aléxandros Panagoúlis fed the artistic circles. Concretely, type-setter Mikis Theodorakis celebrates it, also continued for his political convictions by the junta of the colonels, composed in music his poems. In addition, the poetry and the life of A. Panagoúlis became objects of study for many researchers. However, it is the journalist Italian, Oriana Fallaci, his/her partner, who, through Uomo (a man) paid the homage most vibrating to resistant, the literary genius and the talent of politician of Panagoulis.

Almost “ tyrannicide ”, with its courage and its work, this one marked the political life and intellectual of Greece. As a symbol of freedom and democracy, it inspires the new generations not only in Greece, but also internationally, and finds its place at the sides of the political great men who fought for the human rights and the civil liberties and policies.

Under the push of his/her comrades, friends and admirors, the Greek State published, in homage and recognition of the services of Aléxandros Panagoúlis, of the stamps (people - 20 Dr. in 1996), of the charts of telephone prepaid (of 100 units in 1996) and given its name to public spaces or stations, like the Stop of subway “Aléxandros PANAGOÚLIS” in Agios Dimitrios in Athens (2004).

Film

Panagulis Lives (Sharp Panagoúlis!) (1980/1), scenario: Giuseppe Ferrara, Piergiovanni Anchisi, Riccardo Iacona, Gianfrancesco Ramacci, with the co-operation of Thanasis Valtinos, producer: Giuseppe Ferrare • Photographs: Silvio Fraschetti, music: Dimitri Nikolaou • 35 mm publication of cinema and 16 mm publication of television • Duration: 110 , left has (D - unfinished), SPOKE, 1980.

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