A special Edition by SManalysis
December 2, 1945: The Himariotes, abstaining from communist referendum, as happens usually for Himara the Albanian historians, never wrote this tragic history.
Nikos Koutoulas, who boldly told the special communist court: "I'm Greek . I do not know Albanian, get me a interpret!"
Still now, Albania never hold free politic elections, including Himara Municipality
On 2 December 1945 advertised "free elections" imposed by the Hoxha`s Regime, in order to pave the way for decades of misery that followed the Albanian State.
The elections of December 2, 1945 were so " real", at each polling station had been set up two polls. A red, where they voted who wanted the Communist party, and a black, where you vote for those who were opposed. The red ballot box had invested in with a cloth not hear the noise of the ball that fell, while the black were put in the bottom of a piece of plywood so that if someone threw their vote there, sounded a resonant bang him betrayed.
Andrea Martino, is one of hundreds of political prisoners, from Himara, during a rally in Athens for the rights of Northern Epiriotes
The result of the balloting was unprecedented in the history of elections, showing the magnitude of violence, terrorism and fraud: the members of the Election Committee noted surprised that negative votes ( black ballot box ) around the area were less than those were counted themselves only in their divisions!
While the rest of Northern Epirus and the Albanian territory generally happening these outrages, the inhabitants of Himara organized those days in order to face the upcoming Albanian communist danger. They united the inhabitants of Himara with Greek origin unanimously decided not to vote in elections but to sabotage, giving their own response to bloody tyrant of Tirana.
Nikos Katsalanos, is one of himariotes of the trial of 1945, who was sentenced to imprisonment of all life by dictator regime, but the family still has not found the bones. Efforts have been made after 1991, by the U.S. government and personally by former CIA Director George Tenet, who is also his nephew.
The retaliation of the Albanian communist dictatorship for her heroic act of resistance of Himariotes come back with violence and terror. Two months later, from 10 to 18 February 1946, begins the terror, around 30 arrests, which were the pioneers of the decision to abstain from pseudo free elections proces . Three Himariotes sentenced to death ( Andreas Dimas , Hercules Gjonis, Dimitris Androutsos), four to life and the other in multi imprisonment of the communist regime.
In history facts were as the leader of boykot Andreas Dimas, who even before he died from the bullets of murderers alive blanketed with stones from the communists, the Philip Goro, who saw in front of torturing his son Peter and Nikos Koutoulas, who boldly told the special court "I'm Greek . I do not know Albanian, get me a translator!"
5 Himariotes
still politic prisoners, accused politically by Albanian Courts for
broken Albanian national symbols, during administrative elections of
2007 in Himara.Himara was the only region in Albania, where elections parody not made at all. This fact never forgot the Albanian communists to persecute the Himara people, wich never known as minority zone. Until 1990 the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and Ramiz Alia exiled, imprisoned and executed hundreds Himariotes . Even in post-communist Albania , the denial of Greekness of Himara remains given.
Names of 65 Himariotes martyred during the 45-year dictatorship:
George, Pilos, Angelos, Petros, Theodore and Rolandos Bolanos,
Giannis Skouras, John Milios, Costas Economou,
Socrates , Panagiotis and Thanasis Kokkavesis,
Achilles Rapos, Milios Spyromilios, Panagiotis Panos and Milios, Hercules Gionis,
Nikos Katselanos, Zachos and Nikos Likokas, Dimitris, Michael and Alex Dimogiannis
Anastasis Goumas, Spyros Kyritsis, Spiros and Peter Dimitris Rondos,
Christos and Nikos Kokas, Themistocles , Peter and Sotiris Zotos.
Nikos Koutoulas, Telis and Panos Konomi,
Alexander, Mikis, Fanis and Kosmas Kaloussis,
Kostas Dukas, Spyros Briggos, Kostas Dimalexis Mitsios Goumas
Alekos and Spyros Goros, Lefteris, Kristos, Thomas and Kitsios Lazaris
Apostl Dunis, Nestor Nestouris, Thanassis Natsis, Spyros Nasios,
Janis Dimas, Kostas and Dimitris Androutsos, Luke Boniakos
Christidis, Theodore Moutsos, Spyros Tatos, Lefteris Pappas, Nikos Bourbos,
Pilos Neratzis Anastasios Giokas. Janis Markos,
Related:
http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/special-issues-himara.html
http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/albania/13562
http://www.alb-net.com/pipermail/albsa-info/2000-October/000810.html
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/01/22/nb-01
http://www.ce-review.org/00/36/albanianews36.html
http://ellogosar.blogspot.gr/2013/12/2-1945.html