[ALBSA-Info] North Epirus Lecture:Oct 21. Brookline, MA

[Kreshnik Bejko]

Minas Paras - 46 Years in Prison: A Human Rights Tragedy

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Description:  The Northern Epirus Issue as seen through the eyes of a Greek 
school teacher in his 46 years of imprisonment.



Date:  Sunday October 21, 2001


Time:   3:30PM



Place:  Maliotis Cultural Center
   50 Goddard Avenue
   Brookline, MA


Introduction by:  Nicholas Gage
   Author, Journalist



Activity:  Background:

Imprisoned for 46 years, a native of North Epirus who fought for human 
rights issues in the region concerning the Greek Orthodox minority of 
Southern Albania (North Epirus). As a young teacher, he became greatly 
concerned with basic human rights issues such as the freedom of speech, 
religion, and press and to petition the government for a redress of 
grievances (assembly). The endless efforts of this glorious living hero of 
democracy resulted in his bitter prosecution by the communist regime of 
Emver Hodja. Emver Hodja, a notorious communist dictator that was 
responsible for the prosecution, torture and murder of hundreds of thousands 
of Greek Orthodox Christians inhabiting the land of their ancestors for 
thousands of years.

Minas Paras was born on October the 26th of 1914, in Politsiani of Pogoni in 
North Epirus. At a very young age he immigrated to the city of Ioannina 
because of his parents immigration to the United States. He studied at the 
School of Commerce from 1925 to 1930. From 1930 to 1931 employed by the 
Greek government he served as a Greek teacher in Politsiani. In 1936 and 
1937 he studied at the Pedagogical School of Ioannina and from 1937 to 1941 
he served as a Greek teacher in Pogoni of North Epirus. During the time of 
the German-Italian occupation, he became the leader of a guerrilla 
resistance movement that helped defend Pogoni until his capture and 
imprisonment by the Germans in Ioannina. After the retreat of the German 
forces, he was captured by the communists of Emver Hodja and convicted for 
his endless efforts to liberate North Epirus of Southern Albania.

In 1945, at the age of 31, Minas Paras was imprisoned for the next 46 years 
of his life for attempting to organize an assembly against the oppressive 
communist government of Albania. In prison, he suffered from torture, 
starvation and gastrointestinal disease however with his impeccable courage 
he overcame illness and death. In 1991, at the age of 77, he was finally 
freed from prison by a presidential decree and has been living in Portland, 
Maine, for the past ten years as a US citizen.



Price:  Open to the Public


Promotion:



Refreshments
/Food:  Reception to follow



Parking:   Free parking available



Event Comittee
Chairperson(s):  Dennis Tsilimingras, MD (617) 264-8843




Members:  Anna Jasonides (781) 646-0604
Aristea Souliopoulos (781) 340-7510
Tina Papadopoulos (617) 522-2800
Demetrios Tsoubanos (781) 396-4145
Former President of The Panepirotic Federation
of America, Canada and Australia

Mariam Pyliotis
George Stathas







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