Greece marks 37 years since the 1989 assassination of Pavlos Bakoyannis
Greek political leaders and family members commemorated the 37th anniversary of the 1989 assassination of lawmaker and journalist Pavlos Bakoyannis by the 17 November terrorist group.
Tributes on the 37th anniversary
On Saturday, 26 September 2026, Greek political figures and relatives marked 37 years since the assassination of Pavlos Bakoyannis by the 17 November terrorist group. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis published a statement honouring the late lawmaker's political principles and commitment to national unity.
We walk in his footsteps, claiming what he too wanted. Greeks united to prosper. To overcome difficulties with truth as a weapon. And to build daily an even stronger and more democratic homeland.
Bakoyannis's widow, Dora Bakoyannis, shared a late-1980s photograph showing him alongside their children, Alexia and Kostas, while carrying a lamb on his shoulders. She expressed the enduring absence felt by the family across nearly four decades.
37 years later we miss you just the same. How precious your presence would be today.
His son, Kostas Bakoyannis, commemorated the anniversary by quoting his father's reflections on political renewal, open-mindedness, and practical governance.
Political formations ought to address proposals for life and not proposals for power. We still need a renewal that coordinates social rhythms with the demands of our time. Today, each person is as progressive or as conservative as their political actions show. Keep your soul and mind as free as possible, open also to tomorrow's thoughts and ideas.
The 1989 attack in Kolonaki
The assassination took place on the morning of Tuesday, 26 September 1989, at the entrance of an office building at 35 Omirou Street in the Kolonaki district of Athens. Three disguised gunmen from the 17 November terrorist group waited on the staircase leading to the basement. Bakoyannis arrived in a vehicle driven by his police driver and walked inside the building entrance.
- Three disguised gunmen shoot Pavlos Bakoyannis five times in the back at 35 Omirou Street
- Bakoyannis is brought to Evangelismos Hospital where doctors carry out emergency tracheal intubation
- Surgeons operate within ten minutes of hospital arrival before Bakoyannis succumbs to his injuries
At 07:58, the attackers fired five shots at point-blank range into his back using two separate.45 caliber pistols. The assailants fled in a stolen car that was later abandoned at 11 Leontos Sgourou Street. Bakoyannis's driver discovered him wounded on the floor and transported him to Evangelismos Hospital by 08:20. Medical staff performed an emergency tracheal intubation and operated within ten minutes of his arrival, but the 54-year-old lawmaker died shortly afterward.
Career and political reconciliation
Born on 10 February 1935 in Velota, Evrytania, Bakoyannis studied political and social sciences in Greece before completing a doctorate in Germany. During the Greek military dictatorship, he directed the Greek-language program for Bavarian Radio in Munich, broadcasting news and commentary opposing the regime. Following the restoration of democracy, he worked in Athens journalism, contributing to To Vima and directing the magazine Ena.
Bakoyannis later entered active politics, working as a political adviser to Konstantinos Mitsotakis and winning election in 1989 as a Member of Parliament for Evrytania. During his tenure, he focused on overcoming the ideological divisions left by the Greek Civil War. In 1989, he played an active role in establishing a coalition government between the conservative New Democracy party and the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos), seeking national reconciliation across opposing political camps.
