Evagoras Papachristoforou

He was born in the village of Kato Amiantos¹, Limassol district, on November 20, 1937.

He was murdered by the traitor M.A., in his hideout, on October 8, 1957.

Evagoras Papachristoforou graduated from Kato Amiantos primary school. He worked as an electrician at the Amiantos mine and was a founding executive of SEK Amiantos. He participated in the first military operations carried out in the Amiantos area against the British, such as the operation against the guards of the explosive materials of the Amiantos mine, on November 25, 1955, in the historic battle of Pefkos between Kyperounta and Chandria on November 23, 1955, which he personally directed Georgio Grivas and in the operation at Kokkino Fanari, between Amiantos – Troodos, on December 5, 1955. His contribution was also decisive in the escape of Georgio Grivas to the EOKA hideouts in Spilia. after the battle.

He was arrested in January 1956 for treason and, after many tortures, he was locked up in Kokkinotrimithia prisons. From there he escaped on September 13, 1956 together with six other prisoners. He joined the rebel groups of Grigoris Afxentiou in Pitsilia and took part in two ambushes between Pano and Kato Amiantos and in the execution of an English agent in Amiantos.

After the great betrayals in Pitsilia, at the beginning of January 1957, Evagoras fled with Lenas‘ group to the mountainous region of Gerasa, where Lenas appointed him as the leader of the group, when he himself returned to his field for urgent arrangements.

On February 17, 1957, the day on which the heroes Dimitrios Christodoulou and Sotiris Tsagkaris fell and Lenas was wounded, Evagoras was ambushed by the British while returning to his area and suffered a slight head injury, but managed to escape to Limassol with M.A.. In May 1957, following Digenis order, he took over the organization of a rebel group in the Soleas area, with a hideout near Galata.

On October 8, 1957, he was murdered in cold blood by M.A., who then murdered their supplier and cousin of Evagoras, Chrysanthos Mylonas and after his heinous crime he handed himself over to the British and continued his treason.

At the funeral of Evagoras, which took place in his village and took the form of a national mystagogy, the English did not allow the presence of Papachristoforous’ father, who was kept in detention.

The behaviour of the English roused the prisoners into a violent protest in which they set fire to the Prisons.