Nikos Sampson (1935 –2001) was the de facto president of
Cyprus who succeeded Archbishop Makarios, after a coup d'état, as President of
Cyprus, in 1974. Sampson was a journalist and a member of EOKA, which rose
against the British colonial administration, seeking Enosis (Union) of the
island of Cyprus with Greece. He was eventually arrested, and sentenced to
death, but was imprisoned in Britain after the sentence was commuted, returning
after Cyprus gained independence.
Upon his return upon the formation of the Republic of
Cyprus, he entered politics, becoming a Member of Parliament. Following the
coup of 1974 by the Greek Junta, he was appointed President, and remained in
the position for eight days. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 20
July he resigned. He was later sentenced to twenty years in prison for abuse of
power, the only person convicted vis-à-vis the coup, maintaining there had been
a setup and cover up.
Three years into his sentence, he was allowed to go to
France on medical grounds, and subsequently settled in France. He returned to
Cyprus in 1990 to resume his sentence, and was pardoned for the remainder of
his sentence in 1993. Following his release, he went into the newspaper
publishing business. He died of cancer in 2001.
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