The Press Office of the CC of the KKE has issued the following statement: “The photographs that have recently come to light and depict the final moments of the 200 communists, members and cadres of the KKE, prior to their execution by the Nazi occupiers at the Kaisariani shooting range on May Day 1944, constitute historical evidence and documents of inestimable value. If a everything indicates, these photographs are authentic, they are the only photographic historical record of this immense sacrifice, a symbol of the heroic struggle of our people and an integral part of the history of the KKE.
They capture the moral greatness of the communists who marched towards their deaths unbowed, with unshakeable faith in the just cause of the struggle for a world free from oppression and exploitation. They serve as a source of inspiration for younger generations at a time when the clouds of a generalized imperialist war are once again gathering ominously.
Their value, therefore, cannot be measured in monetary terms. They do not belong in the marketplace, in private collections, or in online auctions with uncertain outcomes.
A serious historical and moral issue thus arises. It is the responsibility of the state to acquire these documents and return them to where they rightfully belong: the EAM National Resistance Museum of the Municipality of Kaisariani, the Municipality of Chaidari, and the KKE, so that they may be accessible to the people and the youth as a source of historical knowledge and inspiration for the present and the future.
On the basis of the above, the KKE will immediately submit a specific proposal regarding the utilization of these documents.”
Statements were also issued by the communist mayors of Chaidari and Kaisariani —the places of detention and sacrifice of the 200 communists— who, among other things, emphasized:
"We believe that these rare historical documents have no place in any online sale, auction, or private collection as a personal 'trophy'. It is therefore the responsibility of the state to acquire them and return them to the Museum of National Resistance of the Municipality of Kaisariani, the Municipality of Chaidari, and to the historical archive of the Communist Party of Greece, of which the 200 were members and cadres."
