July 23, 1959
TRIAL OF GREECE’S COMMUNISTS: After 14 days of hearings, a military tribunal in Athens yesterday declared seven of the 17 people accused of espionage guilty as charged. They include the secretary of the United Democratic Left (EDA) and editor-in-chief of the Avgi newspaper, Manolis Glezos. Glezos was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, and deprived of his civil rights for eight years. He is to be exiled to the island of Aghios Efstratios for four years. Glezos told the court that the royal commissioner had made certain unjust accusations against him. «I am not guilty. This trial has been held for reasons of political expediency.» A female defendant, Maria Grigoriadou, received a suspended sentence, as she is suffering from cancer. Eleftherios Voutsas, a member of the Communist Party’s Central Committee who had entered Greece from behind the Iron Curtain, was sentenced to life imprisonment. He rose from his seat, denied all the the charges levied against him, and said, «I ignore the preachings of intolerance.» The judge told him to sit down. «You aren’t here to enlighten us. I will have you removed from court,» the judge said.
