Unmarked Graves of Civil War-Era Prisoners Uncovered in Greek Park

In Neapolis-Sykies, a suburb near Thessaloniki, Greece, local officials reported the discovery of 14 unmarked graves in a municipal park undergoing renovation. The graves, found during the past week, contain the remains of prisoners, believed to be communists and sympathizers, executed between 1946 and 1953 during and after Greece’s Civil War (1946-49). The prisoners were held at the nearby Yedi Kule (Eptapyrgio) castle, a Byzantine fortress used as a prison where many were tortured and killed.

Unlike 33 bodies found earlier this year, neatly arranged side by side, these remains were jumbled, with torsos and heads separated, suggesting hasty burials. The graves were uncovered close to the surface during park renovations, which include installing new benches. Supervising engineer Haris Charismiadis, alongside an archaeologist, believes more bodies may lie beneath nearby streets. Local mayor Simos Daniilidis prioritized continuing the excavations over other park work.

Families of the executed, often uninformed of their relatives’ fates at the time, are now pushing for DNA testing to identify the remains, though testing has not yet started.

Source: ABC News