Michalis Karaolis

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Michalis Karaolis (1934-1956) was born in the village Palechori of Pitsilia, Cyprus. He was a member of EOKA and was the first to be sentenced to death and hanged alongside Andreas Dimitriou on May 10, 1956. He was 22 years old when he was executed.

When he finished primary school in his village he went to the English School in Nicosia. After his graduation, he found a job in the civil service. He became one of the first members of EOKA. A member of his team killed Officer Poullis, suspected of being a traitor, while Karaolis was going to meet Grigoris Afxentiou on the mountains of Pentadactylos^{[citation needed]}.

Before, and in prison, he wrote patriotic poems. This was his last one:

Τελευταία νύχτα
Έχε γειά, γλυκιά πατρίδα
δουλωμένο μου νησί
τρανή πούχεις και μεγάλη
την αδούλωτη ψυχή
Έχετε γειά, λαγκάδια
κάμποι, βουνά, βρυσούλες,
έχετε γειά Κυπριόπουλα,
και σεις Κυπριοπούλες.


This is the translation:
The last night
Goodbye, sweet country
my enslaved island
large and big you have
the free soul
Goudbye, valleys
countrysides, mountains, rivers
goodbye Cypriot men
and you, Cypriot women