A Young Leader Emerges

Panagiotis Simeou, known affectionately as Panikos, entered the world on September 8, 1936, in the village of Pachna, Limassol. His parents, Simeon Dimitriou and Myrianthi Athinakis, raised him alongside his siblings, Ellie, Andreas, and Crystalla. After graduating from the local primary school, Panikos worked cultivating vineyards. He demonstrated a profound commitment to his community from a very young age. At just 17, he spearheaded the creation of both the New Pachna Guild and a village sports club. He also organized national celebrations, often wearing traditional Greek dress to inspire his fellow villagers.

Answering the Call to Arms

When the EOKA campaign began, Panagiotis Simeou joined its ranks in early 1956. He quickly developed a record of extensive activity. His operations included participating in the attack on the Pachna police station, detonating four explosions targeting the government water system, and supporting EOKA actions in Kivides and Kissousa. He later joined a guerrilla group based in a hideout between the villages of Fini and Saint Nicholas. After British forces discovered their cave, the organization ordered Panikos and a comrade to safely transport the group’s weapons to Omodos. The fighters later reorganized, and Panikos continued his service in one of the new units, taking part in further attacks against the British in Avdemos and Trimiklini.

Capture and Brutal Interrogation

The British authorities, aware of his significant role, placed Panikos on their wanted list. They arrested him in November 1958. For three consecutive days, British personnel subjected him to horrific torture at the Avdemos police station. Then, on the night of November 24, as the Cypriot issue was being debated at the UN, his captors forced him into a police car at gunpoint. They demanded he lead them to EOKA weapon caches in Limassol.

A Final Act of Defiance

As the vehicle moved along 28 October Street, near the GSO stadium, Panikos seized a fleeting chance for freedom. He flung open the car door and ran. The British soldiers and Turkish auxiliary policemen escorting him immediately opened fire, killing him at dawn on November 25, 1958. The crossfire also killed one of his police escorts and a British soldier.

A Hero’s Legacy

The British authorities, flouting Orthodox tradition, ordered his burial to take place at ten o’clock at night. Despite this, a massive crowd knelt at the cemetery and sang the Greek national anthem in a powerful tribute. At his first memorial service, the village girls, honouring his mother’s request, performed the Kalamatiano dance. They sang lyrics that Panikos himself had loved:

“If you find out how I was killed, be happy everyone, for the homeland honour is a sweet death…”

Panagiotis Simeou, alongside Savva Rotsidis, holds the solemn distinction of being among the last heroes to fall in the struggle for Cypriot freedom.