Supervisors info:
Ασημακοπούλου Φωτεινή, αναπληρώτρια καθηγήτρια, τμήμα ΤΕΑΠΗ, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Summary:
Τhis thesis attempts to examine the actions concerning the Hellenic League for Human rights (HLHR).Τhis is the first Greek, non-governmental organization, active from 1956 until 1967, with its first and outmost aim being the protection of the human rights which were violated on a regular basis, in Greece. In order for a circumstantial and comprehensive research to be conducted, the historical folders of the ΕΔΑ (United Democratic Left party), were thoroughly studied. Αs part of the registry, these folders are kept in the Folders of the Contemporary Social History Archives (ASKI). The findings indicate how the Union worked, its actions and interventions against all the governments of the post-civil war era, as well as the incessant claim to abolish all the unconstitutional laws and legislations, illegally implemented in Greece, violating fundamental human rights. Therefore, it is quite evident, that the main actions focused on rehabilitating those democratic freedoms and rights and on balancing them with the existent constitution, with the Rome Convention and the general spirit governing the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights of the general meeting of the United Nations Organization.
At the same time, what is going to be analyzed is the wider historical and political background of the time in Europe, United States of America, Russia and Greece. The aforementioned era is characterized by an intense, anti-communist atmosphere, evident in the domestic political actions adopted throughout the county’s administration, covering the end of the civil war, up until the military dictatorship enforcement. Looking into the special measures taken, namely, the compulsory laws, the esprit and morale certificates, the exiles, the administrative displacement and the nationality deprivation, it is clear that the democratic institution is undermined, a regime of terrorism is established in an absolute extend and the political freedoms one owns are questioned, prosecuted or even deprived. This is also verified, by the Hellenic League’s actions throughout its existence. Unfortunately, despite the intense, vivid and constant claims, for many years, we will realize that the Union will not succeed in achieving any of its claims, nor will, the so-fervently wanted abolition of the unconstitutional measures, come true.
In an era where everybody talks about “a democracy under disguise” and in which every single human right is constantly questioned, diving into the deep and blur waters of history in general and investigating the actions of an organization in specific, seems to be a useful point of departure, generating a plethora of questions and a number of comparisons between the past and the present as well as adopting a critical viewpoint relating to the human rights, their defense and assurance.
Keywords:
Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR), human rights, unconstitutional legislations, emergency measures, anti-communism, Emergency Law, exile, Civil War, Certificate morale, political prisoners, administrative displacement, Citizenship, Contemporary Social History Archives (ASKI), human rights, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
