An appeals court in Greece has upheld the convictions of the leadership and senior members of the neo-Nazi political party Golden Dawn, confirming its designation as a criminal organisation. Established in the 1980s, Golden Dawn gained representation in parliament from 2012 to 2019 amid significant political and social unrest resulting from a severe debt crisis.
In a unanimous decision, a panel of five judges at the Criminal Appeal Court in Athens reaffirmed the 2020 convictions of 42 Golden Dawn members and associates who had appealed their sentences. Among those convicted is the party leader, Nikos Michaloliakos, aged 68, who received a 13-year prison sentence but was released on parole last year for health reasons.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed support for the ruling, stating, “This concerns a traumatic chapter in our parliamentary life, one that I hope we can now leave firmly behind us.”
Golden Dawn’s popularity surged during the financial crisis as it combined anti-establishment rhetoric with ultranationalist and extreme anti-immigration stances. In the September 2015 national elections, the party secured 7% of the vote, placing third and obtaining 18 seats in the 300-member parliament.
The party has been associated with multiple attacks against immigrants and left-wing activists, notably the tragic stabbing of rap artist and activist Pavlos Fyssas in 2013. The appeals court also upheld the murder conviction of a party associate, bringing a sense of relief to Fyssas’s mother, Magda Fyssa. “I thank everyone for being here,” she conveyed to several hundred supporters outside the court. “It’s a historic day — a victory for solidarity and a victory for love and peace.”
Only two of the defendants attended court on this occasion: former lawmakers Ilias Kasidiaris and Ioannis Lagos, who is also a former Member of the European Parliament. Kasidiaris labelled the ruling as politically motivated and said he would continue the legal battle. He stated, “I challenge anyone to find anything — even half a thing — that was illegal. This case will not end in the Greek courts, but at an international court, where I will seek my ultimate vindication.”
The appeals court is scheduled to begin hearing arguments on sentencing on Thursday.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
