The plenary session of the European Parliament voted in favour of lifting the immunity of extreme right MEP Giannis Lagos. In the vote, which took place on Monday afternoon 658 voted in favor and 25 against, while 10 abstained.

MEP Giannis Lagos was sentenced by Greek justice on October 7 to 13 years in prison for directing the criminal organisation Golden Dawn, while he has a second sentence of nine months for the attack on Workshop group a left social area in 2013.

The mandate of MEPs is a national mandate and can not be overturned by any other authority. Furthermore, the waiver of immunity does not constitute a verdict on the guilt or not of the MEP. It merely allows the judicial authorities of the EU Member States to take appropriate action, such as conducting an investigation or trial. As MEPs are elected under national electoral law, it is up to the Member State authorities to inform Parliament if a Member of Parliament is found guilty of a criminal offense involving dismissal from office.

According to the court decision in Greece, Lagos along with Nikos Michaloliakos and five other former members of the Golden Dawn party were found guilty of directing a criminal organisation.