Former guerrillas pardoned and welcomed in Athens

Feb. 02, 1975 - Fugitives for 34 years on Crete are Pardoned.: Two guerrillas from Crete Island who have been fugitives for 34 years and were hiding on the White Mountains of the island, have returned to civilisation for the first time since 1941. The two ex-guerrillas are about 58 years old, and both went into the mountains in 1941 when the Nazi paratroopers invaded Crete. Up to 1944 they were fighting them as part of the popular army ELAS. After the liberation of Greece, the two partisans participated in the civil war and were condemned in 1949 by the government of that period. Since that time they were proclaimed as outlaws and have been a few months ago, when the daily leftist paper AVGI brought the story up and with the assistance of various deputies at the parliament, they were pardoned by the Minister of Justice. This week they came to Athens where they were warmly welcomed by various student organisations and members of the communist party of Greece. Photo shows the two ex-guerrillas, Spiros Blazakis (L) and George Tsobanakis, Pictured at the Central Athens Theatre where they were welcomed by hundreds of people

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Assistance Cretan Crete Deputies Elas Fugitives Guerrillas Hundreds Invaded Leftist Organisations Outlaws Paratroopers Pardoned Participated Partisans Proclaimed Returned Spiros Warmly Welcomed

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