1. General
The Aegean had the sad privilege of being used as a place of exile and detention since the Antiquity. People were exiled to Gyaros already from the Roman years.
In recent years, the deportation and imprisonment measures of the political opponents of each status began with the introduction of a series of special laws (like the 1919 law and the law 4229/1929, known as “idionymo”). During the period before the war, the deportations aimed at the detention of those considered dangerous for the status as well as at the disruption of their political and trade union activities. The dictatorship of the 4th of August systematized that order and multiplied the number of people in exile who, during the four-year period from 1936 to 1940 were over 5.000. The places of exile were small, arid and isolated islands of the Aegean, where the living conditions were tough, and from where it was extremely difficult to escape. In 1937, by a decision of the deputy minister of Public Security, the islands of Agios Efstratios (Ai-Stratis), Anafi, Sifnos and Folegandros, were defined as “places of exile for communists of de minimis implication”.
When the civil was ending, the prosecutions became massive. Ikaria and Limnos were added in the network of islands of exile, prisons were established in Gyaros and exile camps in Makronisos, Trikeri and Chios.
At the end of the civil war, deportations were suspended. The governments of 1951-1952 abolished the camps of Gyaros and Makronissos and, by 1967, the deportation measure was repealed and detention camps were decommissioned. During the Dictatorship, the camps of Gyaros were reopened and new ones were established in Partheni and Lakki, in Leros; there have also been individual deportation cases in certain islands.
After the return to Democratic order in 1974, the deportation order, which had already been ethically condemned, was also legally repealed.
During the period when the deportation order was still in effect, namely between 1928 and 1971, a total of 29 islands of the Aegean were used as places of exile and detention. These islands are: Agios Efstratios, Aegina, Alonisos, Amorgos, Gavdos, Kimolos, Anaphi, Antiparos, Antikythira,Gyaros, Thira, Ikaria, Ios, Kythira, Milos, Leros, Naxos, Limnos, Serifos, Makronissos, Paros, Samothraki, Sikinos, Skyros, Sifnos,Trikeri, Folegandros, Chios, Fournoi. Furtheromore, a small number of people have also been exiled for shorter periods of time in the islands of Andros, Tinos, Syros, Skiathos, Kythnos and Mykonos.
The larger number of people were held in Makronisos, Gyaros, Ai-Stratis, Anafi and Ikaria.
2. The most important cases
2. 1. Makronisos
The number of political prisoners who were detained in Makronisos, quite properly described as a “purgatory”, reached unprecedented levels. It was used as a place of exile for the first time in 1947, initially as a military unit, for the detention of left wing members of the armed forces. The first prisoners were 1.100 military officers, who had participated in the National Resistance, in the ranks of the National Popular Liberating Army (Ε.Λ.Α.Σ.), joined, at a later stage, by simple soldiers and civilians, both men and women. It is estimated that during the period between 1947-1950, 27.000 privates, 1.100 reserve officers and 30.00 civilians were taken there. Makronisos was a place where dissidents were morally eliminated. On the island operated the Athens Military Prison (Σ.Φ.Α.), the camp for political detainees, the A, B and C Special Infantry Battalion and the Centre of Juvenile Education.
On the 16th of May 1989, by the decision 1985/252 of minister Melina Merkouri, Makronisos was designated as a historical location.
2. 2. Agios Efstratios (Ai-Stratis)
This isolated island of the North Aegean was used as a place of detention from 1928 until 1962, when, by decision of the Council of State the last detainees were released. In Ai-Stratis, they lived in spontaneous settlements under extremely difficult conditions. Among the detainees during the period before the war were Dimitris Glinos and Kostas Varnalis. During the Civil war 3.500 men and women were deported to the island, among which secretary general of the Agricultural Party, Kostas Gavriilidis, Manos Katrakis, Menelaos Loundemis and Giannis Ritsos.
2. 3. Anafi
This island of the Cyclades was used as a place of exile for the political detainees from 1023 until the military Dictatorship of April 21th. The number of detainees sometimes was the same as the island’s entire population. Living conditions were extremely tough because of the lack of food and water.
2. 4. Ikaria
In this island of Eastern Aegean, 7.283 people were deported from 1947 to 1949. The detainees, who dispersed in the island’s villages, survived mostly thanks to the support of the local people.