Manolis Glezos

Manolis Glezos (September 9, 1922 - March 30, 2020), a hero of the National Resistance and politician, was born in Apeiranthos, Naxos. In 1940, he enrolled in the Athens University of Economics and Business. During the Nazi Occupation, he was actively involved in the liberation movement. On the night of May 30, together with Apostolos Santas, he took down the swastika and was sentenced to death in absentia. During the Occupation, he was imprisoned, tortured, sentenced, and faced the death penalty. The sentence was not carried out due to protests from the Greek people and international public opinion. He was released from prison in 1954. In 1951, while still imprisoned, he was elected as a member of parliament with the United Democratic Left (EDA). In 1981, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Athens with PASOK, and in 1984 as a Member of the European Parliament. In the 1985 elections, he was re-elected as a Member of Parliament with PASOK. In the 2000 parliamentary elections, he was a candidate with the Coalition of the Left. In 2002, he formed the political group Active Citizens. This political group, in collaboration with the Coalition of the Left and other smaller left-wing parties, participated in the 2004 parliamentary elections through SYRIZA. On May 6, 2012, he was elected as a Member of Parliament with SYRIZA. From 2014 to 2015, he served as a Member of the European Parliament for SYRIZA. He led the nationwide ballot for Popular Unity in the September 2015 parliamentary elections. In addition to his articles in Greek and international newspapers and magazines, his announcements at scientific conferences, studies, essays, and interviews have been published in at least 16 books. He also invented a system to prevent floods, combat erosion, and conserve groundwater, which operates by collecting rainwater in wells to direct it to aquifers. Among other distinctions: He was honored in 1958 with the International Journalism Award and in 1959 with the Joliot-Curie Gold Medal from the World Peace Council. In 1962, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the USSR. In 1996, he was declared an Honorary Doctor of the University of Patras. He was an honorary member of the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture. He was an honorary citizen of 38 municipalities in Greece. He passed away on March 30, 2020, at the age of 98, in a clinic in Athens.