Greece’s Golden Dawn: A Landmark Ruling Against a Neo-Nazi Party

An Athens court is set to deliver fresh sentences on Wednesday in a landmark case concerning crimes committed by the Greek neo-Nazi party, Golden Dawn, during a period of economic crisis. More than 40 defendants face potential prison terms of up to 15 years in this appeal trial, which commenced in June 2022.

The case centers around violent acts attributed to Golden Dawn, including the brutal assault of Egyptian fishermen in 2012 and the 2013 murder of Pavlos Fyssas, an anti-fascist rapper and musician.

From Fringe Group to Political Force

Golden Dawn, founded by Nikos Michaloliakos, began as a fringe organization glorifying Adolf Hitler in its early publications. However, the group gained prominence during Greece’s severe debt crisis in 2010, capitalizing on public discontent over immigration and austerity measures. The party entered parliament for the first time in 2012, becoming the country’s third-largest political force with around 400,000 votes at its peak.

Michaloliakos, a 68-year-old mathematician and former protégé of Greek dictator Georgios Papadopoulos, has consistently denied involvement in the attacks, claiming the violence was carried out by independent “assault squads.” However, prosecutors argued at the original trial that Michaloliakos maintained “complete control and knowledge” of the group’s activities, running the party under a military-style hierarchy modeled after the Nazi party. BBC News

Key Crimes and Convictions

The initial trial in 2020 resulted in convictions for multiple crimes, including running a criminal organization, murder, assault, and illegal weapons possession. Giorgos Roupakias, a Golden Dawn supporter, was found guilty of murdering Pavlos Fyssas, while 15 others were convicted of conspiracy in the case. BBC News

Other incidents brought to light during the trial included a 2012 attack on Egyptian fishermen, leaving them with serious injuries. The Ferret In 2013, a Golden Dawn lawmaker attempted to physically assault then-Athens mayor Giorgos Kaminis for blocking a “Greeks-only” food handout organized by the party.

Ongoing Legal Ramifications

Several high-ranking Golden Dawn figures remain incarcerated. Yiannis Lagos, a former European Parliament member, was extradited from Belgium in 2021 to serve a 13-year and eight-month sentence. BBC News Ilias Kasidiaris, a former party spokesman serving a 13-year and six-month sentence, is believed to have influenced the rise of the Spartans, a new hardline party elected to parliament in 2023.

Constantinos Plevris, a far-right ideologue and the lawyer of jailed ex-Golden Dawn MEP Yiannis Lagos, caused controversy in 2022 by performing a fascist salute in court, leading to his expulsion from the Athens Bar Association. BBC News His son, Thanos Plevris, currently serves as Greece’s Migration Minister.

A Test for Greek Democracy

The trial of Golden Dawn has been viewed as a critical test for the Greek criminal justice system and its ability to confront extremist ideologies. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou hailed the initial verdict in 2020 as a victory for democracy, stating that Greek institutions were capable of “fending off any attempt to undermine them.” BBC News Amnesty International emphasized the importance of delivering justice to victims of hate crimes and deterring racist violence. Amnesty International

Nikos Michaloliakos was granted conditional release from prison last year on health grounds, despite his history of denying the Holocaust. BBC News