Greek Woman Explains Lie

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32266, 8 April 1970, Page 9

Greek Woman Explains Lie

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) ATHENS, April 6. A young woman yesterday told a courtmartial trying 34 Greeks accused of plotting to overthrow the Government that she lied in a loyalty declaration so that she might visit her dying fiance. The 25-year-old woman clerk. Miss Fotini Misailidou —whose fiance, Mr Antonios Parianos, aged 38, died from leukemia last Friday—is on trial with university professors, judges, lawyers, an army general, and other prominent Athenians. They are said to have been involved in bomb explosions, arson and other anti-govern-ment activities while members of the underground Demokratiki Amyna (Democratic Defence) organisation. The alleged leaders face a possible death sentence if found guilty.

; Miss Misailidou, one of [nine to make a final plea to ‘ [the Court yesterday, told the [.jfive officers of the tribunal: ■J “My only aim was to fight .‘ the present military regime *1 which I oppose, as did my -I fiance.” e The girl, dressed in mourne iing for Parianos—who was Ito have stood trial separately '—said: “Yesterday I attended t his funeral and I can now tell the truth.” She admitted that she n helped her fiance and his u friends by typing and duplis eating anti-regime leaflets, “ but added: "I did not belong ? to the Demokratiki Amyna ’’ myself, but I wanted to rey store parliamentary rule and 11 normal political conditions in Greece.” . Asked by the Crown Pro- * secutor, Major lonnis Liappis, why she was incriminating j herself since she had stated h almost the contrary to the 1 police when arrested last a summer, Miss Misailidou ref plied: “I lied because I knew the

days of my fiance were numbered and I wanted to see him while under detention by police. “I told the police I supported the regime and disapproved of my fiance's activities because they agreed to allow me to visit him while he was dying.”

Those who made their pleas yesterday—as required by Greek law—said that they did not belong to the underground organisation but agreed with Demokratiki Amyna’s motives. Some said they might have helped the organisation at various times without knowing it. An engineer, Athanassios Filias, aged 41, said that be was invited to the home of a Supreme Court judge, George Kouvelakis, who escaped arrest, and showed him how to set timing devices to bombs. The judge told him that the explosives and timing gear had been brought into Greece and were to be used as a protest against the mili-tary-backed regime of the Prime Minister, Mr George Papadopoulos. The engineer’s brother, a lawyer, Vassilios Filias, is serving an 18-year gaol term imposed by a military court last May for his alleged part in Demokratiki Amyna. Four men described by the prosecution as leaders of the plot will make their pleas last, probably today.

Judge Kouvelakis is among 20 others listed in the indictment who are not in Court, having fled the country or having been outside Greece before they could be arrested. They include the film producer, Jules Dassin, and Mr Laan Wenger, a New York professor who for many years taught at the American College in Athens. Nearly all the nine pleading yesterday denounced as inaccurate written statements they made to the police during six months solitary confinement.

They said that the statements resulted from “exhaustion caused by long interrogations,” and all denied prosecution charges that they plotted to set up a Commu-nist-style administration. They also rejected prosecution witnesses’ claims that they were linked with Communist organisations. Strict security measures have been in force both inside and outside the court building since the trial, now in its ninth day, started on March 27.