Alex Efthyvoulou, the renowned journalist, political analyst, war correspondent, and the “first ecologist,” passed away today at the age of 97. The news of his death was announced by his son through a Facebook post.
Born in 1927 in Nicosia, Alex Efthyvoulou graduated from the English School of Nicosia and enlisted in the Cypriot Regiment in 1944 to support the fight against nazism. He spent two years in the army, serving in Egypt and Palestine. In his autobiography, he wrote, “In those days, we had the sense that going to war was something heroic.” He was discharged with the rank of sergeant. Later, he moved to London, where he studied accountancy on a scholarship, obtaining his diploma in 1951.
Journalistic career
For a time, Efthyvoulou worked in London as a journalist and newspaper correspondent. He began his career as a freelancer for the BBC. From 1950, he started working as a professional journalist. When the EOKA struggle began, he sent reports to British newspapers, including The Times, Daily Express, Daily Telegraph, and The Times Magazine. From 1955, he became a correspondent for the international news agency Associated Press. In this role, he covered many significant military and other events, both in Cyprus and in various countries, particularly in the Middle East.
As a war correspondent, he also collaborated with Cypriot radio stations, providing many reports from Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, and other countries. He contributed to both Cypriot and foreign media outlets. He was one of the directors and publishers of the English-language Cypriot newspaper Cyprus Weekly, which ceased publication in 2017.
Efthyvoulou was an eyewitness on Sunday, 3rd March 1957, to the Battle of Machairas, where British forces surrounded the hideout of EOKA deputy leader Grigoris Afxentiou, who fought to the end. Efthyvoulou retired from journalism in 2002.
On 6th March 2015, he was honoured by the Cyprus Union of Journalists for his contributions to Cypriot journalism.
Political involvement
Alex Efthyvoulou was actively involved in environmental protection issues in Cyprus and served as president of an environmental protection association. In the parliamentary elections of December 1985, he ran as an independent candidate for the Nicosia district but was not elected, securing 723 votes and 0.22% of the vote.
In the late 1980s, the International Association for Human Rights, led by then Assistant Attorney General Loukis Loukaides, awarded him for his ongoing support of the promotion of human rights.
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Source: digitalherodotos/balla.com
