No leniency for Greece’s Nazi chiefs
Published on: Tuesday, October 13, 2020
By: AFP
Leader of Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn Nikos Michaloliakos is escorted by masked police officers to the prosecutor’s office from the police headquarters in Athens in September of 2013.
ATHENS: A Greek court Monday rejected a request for leniency for the leader of notorious Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn and his top aides, who were convicted last week at the end of a landmark five-year trial.The court refused to consider mitigating factors when sentencing party founder and long-term leader Nikos Michaloliakos and six other former party lawmakers for crimes that include running a criminal organisation.ADVERTISEMENT
However, the announcement of the sentencing that had been expected Tuesday will be delayed after one of the defendants—independent Eurodeputy Ioannis Lagos—asked for the panel of three judges to be replaced.
Dozens of Communist protesters gathered outside the court near central Athens on Monday, demanding harsh sentences for the “Nazi criminals”.
After over five years of hearings, the panel of three judges on Wednesday unanimously labelled the paramilitary party a criminal organisation in the trial described as one of the most important in Greece’s political history.
More than 50 defendants were convicted of crimes ranging from running a criminal organisation, murder and assault to illegal weapons possession.ADVERTISEMENT.jpg)
As a result, Michaloliakos and six others including Lagos, deputy leader Christos Pappas and former party spokesman Ilias Kassidiaris will receive sentences of up to 15 years, a court source said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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The announcement was greeted with elation by some 20,000 anti-fascist protesters gathered outside.
