The Greek Military Police (Greek: Ελληνική Στρατιωτική Αστυνομία (ΕΣΑ), generally known in English by the acronym ESA (Ellinikí Stratiotikí Astinomía) was the main security (secret police) and intelligence organisation during the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Secret police (sometimes political police) are a Police agency which operates in Secrecy to maintain National security against internal Intelligence (abbreviated int or intel) is not Information, but the product of evaluated information valued for its currency and relevance rather than Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group.

Contents 1 Junta 2 Members 3 Buildings 4 ESA in culture 5 Citations and notes 6 External links

Junta

In April 1967, shortly after seizing power in a coup, junta leader George Papadopoulos appointed Dimitrios Ioannides chief of the ESA, which gradually had been transformed into an internal security army. Georgios Papadopoulos (Γεώργιος Παπαδόπουλος ( May 5, 1919 June 27, 1999) was the head of the military Coup d'état Dimitrios Ioannides (also Dimitris Ioannidis, Greek Δημήτρης Ιωαννίδης) (born March 13, 1923) was a Greek military officer who

When Papadopoulos declared martial law after the 1967 coup, he increased the power of the ESA even further by making it the junta's chief arm of law and order as well as repression.

Thousands of the junta's political opponents were arrested by the ESA and sent to some of the Aegean's most desolate islands. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Many of the allegations of prisoner torture under the Papadopoulos regime involved the ESA, in particular its Special Interrogation Unit (Greek: Ειδικόν Ανακριτικόν Τμήμα, tr. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Eidikón Anakritikón Tmíma) (ΕAT or EAT/ESA).

Use of torture chambers by ESA during interrogations was reported during the Greek military junta years. A Torture chamber is a place where Torture is carried out Torture chambers through history Throughout history torture chambers have been used in a multiplicity Regime of the Colonels redirects here For the Polish regime of colonels see Colonels' group. ^[1] Alexandros Panagoulis was one example of a person tortured at the EAT/ESA interrogation cell units. Biography Alexandros Panagoulis was born in the Glyfada neighbourhood of Athens. ^[1][2] Greek politician Nikos Konstantopoulos is another example. ^[3] Tagmatarkhis Spyros Moustaklis was left brain damaged and unable to speak sfter the torture he endured at EAT/ESA. Tagmatarkhis (Ταγματάρχης abbreviated as Τχης is used in the Greek language to mean " Major " Major Spyros Moustaklis ( Σπύρος Μουστακλής) (1926 Messolonghi -1986 was an officer of the Greek Army.

Alarmed at moves Papadopoulos was making towards a transition to democratic rule, loannidis used his position and power as ESA chief to oust him from power.

The ESA was disbanded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis.

Members

Research based on interviews with 21 former ESA members shows that all had been men had been drafted, first into regular military service and then into the ESA. Carried out by Janice T. Gibson & Mika Haritos-Fatouros, the research also showed that recruits underwent series of rigorous treatments and training over a matter of months in order to prepare them psychologically for the task of torturing detainees. ^[4]

Buildings

In Athens, the headquarters of the Special Interrogation Sections of the Military Police (EAT-ESA) was in a building which now houses the "Eleftherios K. Venizelos" Museum at Eleftherias Park, Vassilissis Sofias Avenue. Vassilissis Sofias Avenue or Vasilissis Sofias Avenue (Greek Λεωφόρος Βασιλίσσης Σοφίας Leoforos Vassilissis Sofias is a major avenue in the east side ^[5][2]

ESA in culture

• Iannis Smaragdis’ 1975 film ‘’Cell Zero’’ focuses on the violence and torture carried out at the EAT/ESA headquarters, examining the impact of the Greek junta on a group of people with differing political convictions.

Citations and notes

External links

• Google Translation of Vice Admiral Dimitriades' interview TV series: Reportage without frontiers (From ET Greek National TV)
• To Vima interview with Nikos Konstantopoulos (Translation by Google)

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