He was born in Mithymna, in Lesbos island and attended a scholarship at Athens College. He then studied Law at the University of Athens, where he was politically active. During the period of the Regime of the Colonels he was secretary of Greek Communist Youth – Rigas Feraios and a member of the Coordinating Committee of Occupation of the Polytechnic and took part at the uprising. For his anti-dictatorial action he was arrested, imprisoned and tortured in the Greek Military Police detention facilities.