Spyros Moustaklis

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Tagmatarkhis Spyros Moustaklis (Greek: Ταγματάρχης Σπύρος Μουστακλής) (1926 Mesolonghi -1986) was a senior officer of the Greek Army during the military junta years in Greece.

A graduate of the Hellenic Military Academy, Moustaklis took part in the Velos mutiny in 1973 against the Papadopoulos junta and was subsequently arrested and tortured by the Greek Military Police in the torture chambers of EAT/ESA. During a torture session he suffered brain trauma after a violent blow to his carotid artery and was left paralyzed for the rest of his life.[1][2] He is a symbol of the anti-junta resistance in Greece.[3][4] Despite the efforts of his interrogators he did not betray his colleagues.[2]

He stayed at the EAT/ESA torture centre for 47 days and was subsequently rushed to hospital in a vegetative state.[1] Following physiotherapy and rehabilitation for five months he was able to regain limited movement.[1]

After metapolitefsi he became close friends with resistance hero Alexandros Panagoulis.[1] The brain damage he sustained proved to be permanent and he never regained his ability to speak.[2] His emotional state froze permanently to the state he was during his torture and he was known to curse his torturers and reenact the traumatic experiences of his captivity for the rest of his life.[1]

Despite that, years after metapolitefsi, when asked during a documentary if he broke during interrogation, he was able to move his hands, in an animated fashion,[2] to indicate that he did not.[2]

Posthumously, the Greek State dedicated a memorial to him as recognition of his contribution to Democracy in Greece. [5]

[edit] Citations and notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Eleftherotypia on Moustaklis Quote: Τον ταγματάρχη Σπύρο Μουστακλή τον έφεραν φυτό στο ΚΑΤ το 1973. Συμμετείχε στο κίνημα του Ναυτικού και συνελήφθη στις 22 Μαΐου του 1973. Κρατητήρια. ΕΑΤ-ΕΣΑ. 47 ημέρες βασανιστήρια. (In Greek) Translation: They brought Tagmatarkhis Moustaklis to the hospital in a vegetative state in 1973. He took part in the Navy mutiny and was arrested on 22 May 1973 and: Από το Μάιο του 1973 έως τις 28 Απριλίου του 1986 που πέθανε δεν μίλησε ποτέ όπως όλοι οι άνθρωποι. Οι μόνες λέξεις που έβγαιναν από το στόμα του ήταν οι βρισιές που έλεγε στους βασανιστές του τις ώρες της φρίκης. Ηταν οι μόνες που έμειναν χαραγμένες στον εγκέφαλό του. Οι άλλες σβήστηκαν από τα χτυπήματα. Translation: From May 1973 to 28 April 1986 when he died he never spoke like all people do. The only words that came out of his mouth were the curses he used to tell his torturers during the hours of terror. They were the only ones that remained inscribed in his brain. The others were erased because of the beatings. and εξαιτίας του εγκεφαλικού που προκλήθηκε από βίαιο χτύπημα στην καρωτίδα. Translation: because of the stroke caused by a violent blow to the carotid artery
  2. ^ a b c d e Kathimerini on Moustaklis Quote: In response, three images, three people today do not live longer: the heroic antisminarchos Tasos Minis, o Kostas Kappos with kratires-wounds on his body and the exaflomenos tagmatarchis Spiros Moustaklis, disabled by torture, paralyzed, without voice. Οταν όμως τον ρωτούν «αν έσπασε, αν μίλησε», κουνάει αρνητικά και με πάθος τα χέρια του. When I asked if «broke, whether spoken», negative waves and bent their hands. Αυτό το βουβό «όχι, όχι!» ήταν το πιο συγκλονιστικό κομμάτι της εκπομπής... This silent «no, no!» Was the most shocking piece of the broadcast... [sic] (Translation by Google)
  3. ^ PASOK tribute to anti-junta resistance Quote: This reform is an important moments in the back of antidiktatorikis wrestling with reference to the organizations who resisted the junta already from the first day of enforcement, the events during the funeral of Georgios Papandreou, in important ways the freedom struggle as the Alexandros Panagoulis Moustaklis and Flora, in the responsibilities of the junta for the Cyprus tragedy and the heroic Movement Navy with interviews from some of the originators. [sic] (Translation by Google)
  4. ^ Reportage without frontiers from ET (Greek National TV) Interview with Vice Admiral Konstantinos Dimitriadis Quote: The fai (editor's note:food) was filled with salt. Απειλές. Threats. Με απειλές, με τέτοια πράγματα και υβρεολόγιο. With threats, with such things and profanity. Νυχθημερόν να παίζει κάποιο ραδιόφωνο. Nychthimeron (ed note: Day and night the radio was playing) to play a radio. Ένα ραδιόφωνο με διάφορα τραγούδια εκείνης της εποχής και τα λοιπά. A radio with various songs of the time and so on. Και μαγνητόφωνα με κραυγές για να σπάσει το ηθικό, ας πούμε. And tape with cries to break the morale, say. (Editor's note: Tapes with screams to break the morale of the prisoners) Αυτά και βέβαια ορισμένοι, δεν υπέστησαν όλοι με τον ίδιο τρόπο την μείωση αυτή. Those are certainly some, not all were in the same way to reduce this. (Editor's note: Not all prisoners suffered this on the same level) Είχανε κάτι ζωστήρες. Eichane zostires something (editor's note: They had belts (for beating)). Το κορύφωμα βέβαια ήταν του Μουστακλή ο οποίος χτυπήθηκε άσχημα και βγήκε εκτός ο άνθρωπος. The culmination of the course was Moustaklis who severely beaten and got out of the man. Editor's note: The worst was Moustaklis who was beaten so badly he went mad (Translation by Google [sic] with editor's notes for clarification)
  5. ^ George Papandreou at Moustaklis' memorial


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