Petition by 168 MPs in aid of Idzedin Fortress

168 members of parliament from all parties of Greece have signed a petition for the preservation, conservation and promotion of Idzedin Fortress in Chania Prefecture in Crete, as a national monument, a symbol of freedom and democracy and a modern cultural space.

The text states: “The Idzedin Fortess in Chania Prefecture in Crete has often, in times of political upheaval, been used as a prison and place of torture of thousands of fighters for democracy and freedom, while during the Occupation it was also a place of execution. Today, thirty years after the reinstatement of democracy and a few years after the area ceased to be used as a naval storage depot, the Idzedin Fortress should have been promoted as a historic symbol and a place of democratic pilgrimage, and used as a cultural space.

A visit to the spot, however, is a disappointing experience. The buildings are not conserved and are gradually falling into ruins, the surrounding area is being built on by property developers, and there is absolutely no provision for visitor information.

Recently the Idzedin area has been turned into a rubbish dump, not only blighting the landscape and insulting historical memory, but actually threatening the stability of the whole fortress. As Idzedin is a monument of modern Greek history and should therefore be promoted as a national symbol, an area of culture and promotion of the ideals of democracy and freedom, we demand:

• That the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Ministries of Finance, the Interior and National Defence, immediately undertake the urgent provision of the necessary funds to remove the rubbish and repair the damage to the historic buildings.
• The protection of the monument and its surroundings and the prosecution of anyone who desecrates, destroys, trespasses on and insults the complex of fortress, cemetery and neighbouring public land.
• The strict prohibition and prosecution of illegal and unsightly building development in the area of the fortress.
• The creation of a cross-party parliamentary committee to handle the systematic restoration and promotion of the historic area.
• Collaboration with surviving ex-prisoners and their organisations, as well as local authorities, in order to coordinate attempts for the preservation, restoration and operation of the Idzedin fortress in Crete.

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