GREECE: Yaros, the forgotten prison island (DW, link):
“The barren and seemingly godforsaken island of Yaros in the southern Aegean is also known as the “Island of the Devil.” Its history as a place of exile goes back to the ancient Romans who sent undesirable people to the island. After the Greek Civil War (1946-1949), Greek rulers kept the old tradition and sent 20,000 communists and other enemies of the government into exile on Yaros. The prisoners were treated to a gruesome educational holiday. Anyone who had dared to defy the government was mistreated until their will was broken and was then reeducated in the ways of “true Greeks.”
…But now, it looks like the ball is rolling again. There are plans to turn the island into a nature conservation area and a diver’s paradise. The project is being backed by WWF, the world’s leading nature conservation organization, and the Cyclades Life program… It will be no easy task due to the complex legal situation.“