THE WORKERS' PARTY OF IRELAND

Statement on death of Cde. Babis Angourakis (KKE)

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Cde. Babis Angourakis at Belfast protest against arrest of Sean Garland (with Brian Lynch WP)

STATEMENT OF THE WORKERS PARTY OF IRELAND ON THE DEATH OF COMRADE BABIS ANGOURAKIS
 
The Workers Party of Ireland has learned with great sadness of the sudden death of Comrade Babis Angourakis of the Communist Party of Greece. This is a great loss to his family, the KKE and to the international communist movement.
 
Cde. Babis was well known in Ireland to the cadres and supporters of the WPI. He visited Ireland and met many delegations from the WPI over the years. Indeed, Cde. Babis was present in Ireland when Cde. Sean Garland was detained on the orders of the US government and he took part in the protests organised in Ireland at that time and was of invaluable assistance in solidarity activities on his return to Greece. The role of Cde. Babis in resisting the attempts to extradite Cde. Garland to the US will not be forgotten.
 
The shock of his sudden death is widely felt among his comrades and friends in Ireland. Cde. Babis was very well known and highly respected internationally through his work in the International Section of the Central Committee of the KKE and through his role in the International Meetings of the Communist and Workers Parties.
 
In the course of his work with KNE and subsequently with the KKE, including his long membership of the Central Committee and his work as an MP and later an MEP, Cde. Babis played an important role in the struggles of the Greek communists to advance the cause of the workers and peoples of Greece against imperialism and capitalist exploitation, demonstrating the vitality of the fight for social progress, for international solidarity and for the construction of socialism-communism. Cde. Babis spent his life dedicated to the KKE and to the struggles of the working people of Greece, Europe and the world for a socialist future free from exploitation and war. We owe a great debt to Comrade Babis, a true revolutionary fighter for the workers of the world.
 
The Workers Party of Ireland sends its deep condolences to his comrades in the KKE and KNE and to his immediate family, friends and wider family circle.
 
Michael Finnegan, President
 
John Lowry, General Secretary
 
Gerry Grainger, International Secretary
 
Workers Party of Ireland

Peace, Work, Democracy & Class Politics