  manolis glezos () (born september 9, 1922) is a greek left wing politician and writer, known worldwide for his participation in the world war ii resistance. == early life and world war ii == born in the village of apiranthos (or aperathu), naxos, glezos moved to athens in 1935 together with his family, where he finished high school. during his high school years in athens he also worked as a pharmacy employee. he was admitted to the higher school of economic and commercial studies (known today as the athens university of economics and business) in 1940. in 1939, still a high school student, glezos participated in the creation of an anti-fascist youth group against the italian occupation of the dodecanese and the dictatorship of ioannis metaxas. at the onset of world war ii he asked to join the greek army in the albanian front against italy, but was rejected because he was under age. instead, he worked as a volunteer for the hellenic ministry of economics. during the axis occupation of greece, he worked for the hellenic red cross and the municipality of athens, while actively involved in the resistance. right|thumb|120px|the swastika on the akropolis on may 30, 1941, he and apostolos santas climbed on the acropolis and tore down the swastika, which had been there since april 27, 1941, when the nazi forces had entered athens. it inspired not only the greeks, but all subjected people, to resist against the occupation, and established them both as two international anti-nazi heroes. the nazi regime responded by sentencing glezos and santas to death in absentia. glezos was arrested by the german occupation forces on march 24, 1942, and was subjected to imprisonment and torture. as a result of this treatment, he was affected by tuberculosis. he was arrested on april 21, 1943 by the italian occupation forces and spent three months in jail. on february 7, 1944 he was arrested again, this time by greek nazi collaborators. he spent another seven and a half months in jail, until he finally escaped on september 21 of the same year. == career and political activism in post-war greece ==  the end of world war ii was not the end of glezos' plight. on march 3, 1948, in the midst of the greek civil war, he was put to trial for his political convictions and sentenced to death multiple times by the right-wing government. however, his death sentences were 
1922_births Athens_University_of_Economics_and_Business_alumni Coalition_of_the_Radical_Left_MEPs Greek_MPs_1958a61 Greek_MPs_1961a63 Greek_MPs_1981a85 Greek_MPs_1985a89 Greek_MPs_2012_(MayaJune) Greek_MPs_2012a Greek_Resistance_members Greek_non-fiction_writers Greek_prisoners_and_detainees Lenin_Peace_Prize_recipients Living_people MEPs_for_Greece_1984a89 MEPs_for_Greece_2014a19 Panhellenic_Socialist_Movement_MEPs People_from_Naxos United_Democratic_Left_politicians