The Six Executed from Dmbeni

In 1941 when they joined the side of the German-Italian occupiers, the government left the homeland and set off for England and elsewhere while the people rose up against the occupiers under the battle flag and patriotic flag of the Communist Party of Greece and wrote the famous epic story of EAM-ELAS.

The Macedonian people, together with the Greek people, became active in that struggle and sacrificed many lives to free their country. One of the Macedonian villages that contributed a great deal to the struggle for liberation is the village of Dmbeni - Kostur region. The people who lived there, well schooled in the patriotic and revolutionary spirit, began to get ready for the national struggle from the first days of the occupation. As soon as they got back from the Albanian front the youths of Dmbeni, answering the call of the Party for a national struggle to be organised, started immediately to gather the weapons which had been left behind after the Greek-Italian war. In a short time they had gathered a large number of weapons. This activity reached the ears of the Italian occupying forces. A special Italian investigative battalion reached Dmbeni and created terror in the village and tortured the people. Twenty people were arrested, most of them youths, members of OKNE and CPG.

K Vlahov, one of the arrested youths, wrote about this situation:

"In the month of October 1941 we were arrested by the fascist Italian forces which at that time occupied our village Dmbeni. We were dragged to the Kostur prison. After some time had passed we were taken to the prisons on Volos and at the start of 1943 they took us to the Athens prison "Averof". Twenty of us from Dmbeni appeared before a military court there.

"I cannot describe in detail the heroism of the accused during the prosecution process. All of the accused, who were seated on the bench before the court, were young and capable but did not get to enjoy the joys of life. The judge Kondakis Mortos read the serious convictions followed by death sentences for the following comrades:

- Naum Dzhurkov, born in 1921, member of OKNE

- Nikola L. Shekrov, born 1921, member of OKNE

- Naum L Moskov, born 1914, member of OKNE

- Zhivko A Kenkov, born 1914, member of OKNE

- Hristo A Andriovski, born 1914, member of OKNE

- Anastas T. Skevidov, born 1916, member of the Greek Communist Party

"On the day when they took them from the depths of the prison to be executed, those of us who remained in the prison heard the voices, "Comrades… we wish you good health and hope you enjoy dear freedom…"

From: For Sacred National Freedom: Portraits Of Fallen Freedom Fighters

© 2009

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