EXECUTIONS IN GREECE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 February 1947, Page 5

EXECUTIONS IN GREECE

POSTPONEMENT REQUESTED BY MR. LIE SECURITY COUNCIL INQUIRY NEW YORK, Feb. 8. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Trygve Lie, requested the Greek Government to postpone the execution of several political prisoners until the Security Council had discussed the situation on February 10( Mr Lie’s action followed a complaint by the Greek Ambassador in Washington, Mr Vassili Dendramis, who is the Greek delegate to the United Nations, that the Security Council’s Commission investigating Balkan border disputes had interfered in Greece’s domestic affairs by seeking to have the executions stayed. The Commission last week informally asked the Greek Government to suspend the execution of 14 persons sentenced to death for alleged guerrilla activities. The Government executed three guerrillas yesterday but postponed the execution of the others. The Commission considered the condemned men could provide useful information on border clashes. Greek officials explaining the execution of the three men said that because of inadequate means of communication, news that a postponement of the .executions had been granted while the Security Council was discussing whether the Commission was competent to intervene, was too late in reaching Kilkis in Northern Greece, where the executions took place. More than 5000 E.A.M. demonstrators broke up a meeting of the Commission at the Acropole Palace Hotel this afternoon. They held up traffic and made so much noise that the chairman of the Commission declared the meeting adjourned until the demonstrators dispresed half an hour later.

The Albanian delegate, Colonel Kernezi.told the Commission that Greece was pursuing an imperialistic and warlike policy towards Albania. Bulgarian, Albanian and Jugoslav Fascists who found refuge in Greece had been free to plot against the democratic regimes of neighbouring countries. The Albanian Government representative told the Commission that the Greeks had violated the Albanian border 172 times since the country s liberation and killed six persons and stolen much livestock.