Cretan sues Pangalos for insulting the dead!

Civil engineer Gorgias Psyllakis has taken issue with statements by Mr Pangalos according to which Cretans did not participate in the war of independence in 1821, as well as calls for “retaking” the island and "disarming all Cretans.” The statements were made after the accidental shooting and killing of a man during an Easter feast by “celebratory” shots, known on Crete as “balothies.”

In his suit Mr Psyllakis notes that he has proceeded to the suit in order to “inquire as to whether the crime of insulting the memory of the dead has been committed (article 365 of the Penal Code) on behalf of the countless of Cretans slaughtered before and during the revolution of 1821.”

In his addendum to the suit, Mr Psyllakis recounts several incidents before and during the revolution of 1821 on Crete, focusing on the Daskaloyannis revolt of 1771 and the subsequent massacres in Chania, and also the revolts in Sfakia and Anogeia in 1821, and the wholesale slaughter dealt the island by Egyptian general and Turkish ally Ibrahim Pasha in 1823.

As the plaintiff notes besmirching the sacrifices of thousands of Greeks, including, but not limited to Crete, is an insult to the most holy memories of the few survivors that have bore witness to these historical memories. Therefore, he maintains, the condemnation of the actions of Mr Pangalos, which “insult human dignity and ignore historical memory on which the benefits of Democracy and Freedom are rooted, is a self-evident act for any society that respects human values and principles.”

Mr Pangalos is known for his love of recourse to justice, where he seeks refuge against even the slightest offense. Two years ago he sued a citizen for calling him an ass. Well, now, it's time for a little of his own medicine.