"Shock is the feeling caused by the action of the infamous executioner, executive body of British colonialism Harry Allen, in the hanging of the top heroes of the national liberation struggle of EOKA` 55-`59 ", said Mr. Omirou upon receipt of the items.
The Speaker of Parliament stated that the objects are evidence of the brutality shown by the colonialism against a people who fought for their freedom, and which will be handed over to the Museum "Struggle" to be exhibited as an eternal shame of the colonials' abhorrent behavior and to they are a timeless, repulsive example of the methods of oppression, freedom and totalitarianism ”.
Mr Homer posed two questions, which only Britain could answer. "When will the historical backlog end and when will there be an apology?"
On behalf of the British expatriate delegation, Fanoula Argyrou referred to the history of the acquisition of the objects as well as to other historical facts that have to do with the hangings of the heroes, the action of the executioner and the role of Britain.
As Ms. Argyrou said, it all started when in the electronic version of the Daily Mail on May 12, 2015 the news was posted that the items of the executioner Harry Allen were put up for auction, who, as the article wrote, was also the executioner of her hanged heroes Of Cyprus.
The expatriates then contacted the Auction House to buy them, however the items had already been purchased by a Briton. After some efforts by the expatriates, the Briton contacted them and agreed to resell the items to them at a price of 1100 pounds.
These items consist of an omega watch, a bat, a number of photographs of him, a three-page list of the details of the nine Greek Cypriots hanged. This list includes their details, such as date of birth, date of hanging and, most shockingly, how many seconds it took for each of the heroes to breathe their last.
The items also include two silver-plated glasses with inscriptions dedicated to him by friends, two books about his life (one entitled "The Last Executioner of Britain" published by the Prison Museum) and a watercolor inscribed "engraved in the Central Prison on September 12, 1958 ”.
As Mrs. Argyrou mentioned, what made an impression is that in the album with the photos and the details of the hanged there is also a color page with the list of the hanged, framed with photos of the heroes and a well-known statement from everyone.
The hanged were: Michail Karaolis and Andreas Dimitriou (May 10, 1956), Andreas Zakos, Iakovos Patatsos and Charilaos Michael (August 9, 1956), Michalis Koutsoftas, Stelios Mavrommatis and Andreas Sepagriou 21 (Andreas Sepagriou 1956) .
Ms. Argyrou stated that Harry Allen was also an accomplice in the hanging on December 15, 1954 in London of the 54-year-old Stylous Pantopiou Christofi, who was then convicted for the murder of her German-born bride.
As he later stated, in the book "The Last Executioner of Britain" there is also a letter from the Ministry of Colonies dated December 31, 1957 with which Harry Allen was officially invited to take up the duties of executor in Cyprus. This, however, is in conflict with the historical facts as up to that date all the hangings had been carried out. That is why, as he said, the expatriates contacted the author of the book asking for an explanation and after a meeting with him, the author himself agreed that the date that appears in the letter is very strange.
This can be explained, as Ms. Argyrou said, by the fact that at that time there were intense debates in the British Parliament for the abolition of the death penalty and between 10 August 1955 and 23 July 1957 all executions in Britain were suspended. .
One explanation, he added, is that the letter from the Minister of Colonies deliberately brought an advanced date to cover the execution and to avoid accusations that could be raised by Greek lawyers and relatives of those hanged against the British Government and the Cyprus, that two meters and two weights followed, since no executions took place in Britain.
According to the British Prison Museum, Harry Allen carried out 29 executions and helped 53 others, but these executions do not include the 9 EOKA heroes.
Source: KYPE