Andreas Kyprianou Panagiotou

Andreas Panagiotou was born in Filia¹ on September 16, 1936.

He passed away on 28 June 2024.

He took the Oath to EOKA from the end of November 1954, still a student in the 6th grade of the Pancyprian High School and played, among other things, an important role in the initiation of the first members of the Organization in Filia. On April 8, 1955, he was arrested and, after being accused of distributing seditious leaflets, was sentenced along with other classmates to a fine and bail.

From the end of May - beginning of June 1955 he joined the first executive team of Nicosia. Together with Michalakis Karaolis, they carried out the operation on August 28, 1955, for which Karaolis was sentenced to death and hanged.

On September 6, 1955, he was arrested together with Polykarpos Giorkatzis and Georgios Ioannou, while they were going on a night operation of the executive. The revolver found in his possession was one of the weapons used in the execution, for which Karaolis was charged, sentenced to death and hanged. After horrific torture, he was charged and sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a revolver.

On September 26, 1956, Andreas Panagiotou managed to escape from the Central Prisons, hiding in a coffin full of junk. After his escape he joined the Pentadaktylos guerrilla group as a wanted man and was offered by the British with the sum of 5,000 pounds. He acted under the pseudonym "Horatios" as the manager of the western region of the province of Kyrenia, with administrative centers in Karavas and Lapithos, with rich competitive action until the end of the Game.

With the manifestation of the Turkish rebellion of 1963 - 1964, without a second thought, he left his studies in Greece and returned to Cyprus at the head of Cypriot students to offer his services to the homeland. He took over as deputy commander of the volunteer company of Filia and after the departure of its captain, Georgios Hatjidamianos, took over from him the command of the company until his demobilization with the rank of captain.

After 1974, he joined many anti-occupation organizations, promoting militant anti-occupation events, including the anti-occupation marches of his hometown, which had as their starting point Peristerona and the final goal of settling in the occupied Filia.

Andreas Panagiotou continued to lead even after the Turkish invasion as an ardent and uncompromising supporter of the liberating idea in Cyprus.