Evagoras Pallikaridis

He was born in the village of Tsada¹, Paphos district, on February 27, 1938.

He was hanged in the early hours of March 14, 1957, in the Central Prisons of Nicosia².

Evagoras Pallikarides studied at Tsadas primary school³ and Neophyteio Urban Estate School. He continued his studies at the Hellenic High School of Paphos. A very gifted child, he left us a rich intellectual work.

His action for the liberation of Cyprus began in June 1953 during the celebrations for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. He took down the English flag from the propylaea of the city's stadium and led the organization of a large demonstration, resulting in the cancellation of the celebrations.

When those arrested in connection with the ship Agios Georgios were taken to the court, Evagoras with twenty of his friends rushed against the policemen, to wrest them from their hands. On June 22, 1955, he led the attack group against the Paphos court and then against the English Commander Krin Bey.

In August 1955, on a trip to Greece, he was given the opportunity to learn about the use of a weapon and managed to bring a revolver with him.

In November 1955, at a student demonstration, he beat British soldiers freeing his classmate from their hands. He was arrested and ordered to appear in court on December 6. In order to avoid the condemnation, he fled to the monastery of Agios Neophytos the day before the trial and joined the rebel group of the area in the location of Appis, between Kissonerga and Talas.

In March 1956 he was advanced to a hiding place in the forest near the village of Lysos⁴ towards the area of Agios Georgios. He took part in many attacks and sabotage against the English in this area.

On the evening of December 18, 1956, during a movement of his group from the area of Stavros tis Psokas to the area of Lysos, he was confronted by an English patrol that was moving with the engines of the vehicles turned off, on the road between Lysos and Stavros tis Psokas near Lysos, in the Kopes area⁵, and was arrested holding a Bren type weapon, which was being maintained in grease. He was sentenced to death for this.

To the judge who announced his sentence, he said:

He is the last to climb the gallows.