The Youth Union of Agios Dometios consistently honors this year the memory and the contribution of the unforgettable fighter of the national liberation struggle of the E.O.K.A 1955-'59, Nitsas Hadjigeorgiou.
A young woman, a fighter with invaluable action in the Struggle, but whose later shocking story was dramatic and painful, ending tragically.
It is a minimum duty for younger generations to know, appreciate and keep her memory intact, as a model of philanthropy, who lived and acted humbly, with selflessness and a clear conscience, and whose valuable services to her country were only recognized by time and history, vindicating and restoring her reputation and dignity.
In important historical events of our nation there are, unfortunately, examples in which fine children of the motherland were questioned in life for their action, motives and struggle and experienced in a cruel way, bitterness, injustice and misery.
And it is at least comforting that their slip and hypocrisy should be recognized and that order, honesty, justice and due respect for their person should be restored.
Because such cases of people, like Nitsa Hadjigeorgiou, may have experienced a stubborn life, but their actions were always directed within the framework of a moral code of values, enduring all personal costs without complaint.
Through their stoic attitude, something essential is demonstrated, that you can be great and special by living the smallest and most insignificant life!
Nitsa Hadjigeorgiou's earthly path was determined by a difficult, lonely and uphill road full of daily pains. But with full awareness of her duty and the purpose she served. She experienced contempt and injustice from friends and enemies alike, culminating in her martyrdom. As a true fighter, however, she never thought for a moment of capitulating for the sake of comfort and security, but only chose to live humbly and despised, choosing loneliness as her companion.
The beginning of the national liberation struggle of EOKA was for the whole of our small and despised, at the given moment, people a supreme manifestation of fighting ethics and virtue. A brave march towards the wonderful world of the beautiful ideals of life.
Among them was Nitsa Hadjigeorgiou, who in 1955 willingly and consciously took the oath that initiated her into the Organisation, at the age of just 21. Inspired by the vision of freedom, the beautiful girl dedicated herself wholeheartedly to the Struggle with self-sacrifice and self-denial, without hesitating for a moment to follow any order, no matter how difficult or dangerous it was.
At that time Nitsa was living with her mother in a small and poor little house in Agios Dometios and working as a hairdresser in the centre of Nicosia. Many Englishmen and Englishwomen passed by her place of work every day from whom she obtained useful information, which she passed on to the Organization. At the same time she smuggled and concealed material while closely cooperating and assisting militants, who were operating both in Nicosia and in Agios Dometios.
Soon her involvement became more intense and at the same time more risky. Whatever was assigned to her she carried out with alacrity, courage and determination. Indicative was her participation in the organized efforts of EOKA for the escape of the hero Michalakis Karoli from prison, an action that did not have a happy outcome.
Noteworthy, however, was her contribution to the operation to transport Grigoris Afxentiou from Pentadaktylos to Kakopetria, a mission she undertook together with Kyriakos Matsis, who was the driver of the car. Gregory and Nitsa, passengers in the back seat. The dangerous route ran smoothly, until the moment when a barbed wire roadblock interrupted the route. Nitsha calmly untied her rich hair, covering Gregory's face and hiding him in her arms. The Englishmen smiled at the sight of the supposedly amorous couple and motioned for them to continue on their way. Grigoris, whose name was among the wanted men, arrived unharmed at his destination, from which he ascended to the EOKA grounds.
Despite the very difficult conditions, the Struggle continued with many fighters being arrested and tortured inhumanely and many being condemned and sentenced to death. At this moment EOKA is looking for a way to react by kidnapping and possibly exchanging English soldiers for death row fighters.
In order to implement this plan, Nitsa is exploited and unhesitatingly involved in a highly dangerous mission to kidnap an English soldier.
Specifically, Nitsa is offered to be the bait, which she accepts without objection. "All for the Fatherland," she responds. However, things take a bad turn.
The English officer ends up dead after a shootout with EOKA fighters at Nitsa's house, and her life takes a dramatic and highly tragic turn.
The EOKA fighter is taken to the dungeons of Omorphita, as the claims she makes about the scenes that unfolded in her house, as dictated to her by the EOKA leadership, are not believed by the British.
She is tortured, humiliated and thrown into prison without any trial. But she demonstrates unwavering loyalty to the Struggle and does not betray her fellow fighters.
She remains imprisoned for some time, without her mother knowing exactly where she is. Her body becomes unrecognizable from the torture and her health is dangerously shaken. Despite the hardships she manages to survive, bearing the scars of her inhuman torture.
At the end of the Struggle she is free again and returns home, where she begins a new ordeal for her life, since no one recognizes her participation and action in EOKA and everyone despises her.
She is sentenced to solitary confinement and remains unprotected in obscurity, with her treacherous mother as her companion and supporter until her tragic death.
On 11 March 1968, Nitsa leaves this world at the age of 37. She is discovered by her mother dead in bed. On her chest she holds a New Testament.
Despite initial and hasty assessments, which attributed her death to suicide, the coroner who performed the autopsy ruled it a murder. A murder, which will never be solved.
An inglorious, but above all unjust end for one of the outstanding figures of the EOKA struggle.
Nitsa Hadjigeorgiou was wronged but not forgotten. In her honour, the Youth Union of Agios Dometios made sure to highlight her courageous action and her admirable contribution to her homeland, keeping her memory, values and ideals alive.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The national liberation struggle of EOKA was a milestone in the course of Hellenism in general and wrote golden pages in modern Cypriot history.
The freedom fighters demonstrated in practice their love for their homeland and their ardent desire for freedom, defending with their lives the highest ideals of their generation and the whole of humanity.
However, the years that followed led our martyred island to hard trials, ending tragically with the Turkish invasion of 1974. Since then, the occupation has been consolidated year after year, violating every principle of international law.
Turkey's intransigence and its dead-end path of threats and provocations are a plague on our land, a plague on the heart of Europe in the Mediterranean.
We remain committed to the goal of ending the occupation and reuniting our country within the framework of a viable and workable solution, in line with the values and principles of the European acquis. This goal should be the collective responsibility of all of us in order to safeguard our national survival and dignity through unity of forces, far from the divisive syndromes of the past.
International developments, difficulties and contemporary problems oblige us to be alert and ready. The current aggressive Russian invasion of Ukraine and the dangerous political backdrop of what we see unfolding every day should be seen by Europe and the entire civilized, democratic world as a danger to stability and peace, but also as a dangerous challenge to the whole of Europe and our political civilization in general.
The due response will also be a confirmation that Europe is indeed united and can stand up to new challenges and manifestations of barbarism.
Recently, the President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, in his intervention during a dinner of the leaders of the EU Member States, held in the framework of the Informal European Council in Versailles, strongly condemned the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, underlining Cyprus' support and solidarity with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
He also noted that Cyprus, being itself a victim of foreign invasion and continued occupation of its territories and under constant threat from Turkey, fully understands the plight of Ukraine and its people, in particular the civilians and people who are being displaced. In his statement, he said that it was crucial for the international actor to work to secure, as soon as possible, a ceasefire agreement that would end the bloodshed and pave the way for negotiations.
In the context of this philosophy and given the Government's determination to uphold United Nations resolutions, Security Council Resolutions and the acquis communautaire, it will persist in its efforts to create the necessary conditions and preconditions that will lead to an effective negotiation process for the resolution of our national problem.
Only then will we vindicate fighters like Nitsa Hadjigeorgiou, as well as every hero of our martyred island, who offered the most precious commodity of life, for a higher and holier purpose, for the homeland.
Eternal her memory.
(PM/NG)
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