The historic trial of ultranationalist Golden Dawn President and Holocaust denier Nikos Mihaloliakos begins on Monday in a specially adapted courtroom in Korydallos Prison. Dubbed “the Fuehrer” by investigating magistrates, the heavyset 57-year-old fiery leader and his 68 followers will face charges of being in a criminal organization.

The justices of the Appeals Court will need to make a historically-important decision and judge whether the far-right once-fringe party can be deemed a legitimate political party of a Nazi-type criminal group.

The investigation into the party’s activities, launched following the murder of leftist rapper Pavlos Fyssas by George Roupakias on September 18, 2013, in Keratsini, Piraeus. The investigation into the murder found links with party members that had coordinated their actions on that evening with instructions to Roupakias.

The family of the young rapper arrived at Korydallos prison shortly after 8 a.m. without making any statements.

Anti-fascist groups have gathered outside the jail, but there are also gatherings of Golden Dawn supporters.

The choice of Korydallos courtroom as a venue has sparked the criticism of locals that fear that the trial could disrupt the operation of schools in the area. Opponents of this choice say that the venue is too small. The trial is expected to run for around a year with 69 defendants (including all the MPs in Golden Dawn’s previous Parliamentary Group), more than 100 defence lawyers, attorneys and 131 witnesses.Sources state that a claim will be made to hold the trial at another venue.

The trial will also look into the party’s role in the murder of a Pakistani worker, attacks on the Greek Communist Party (KKE) members, attacks on Egyptian fishermen, attacks on centers in Ilioupolis,on Crete and other areas. It is believed that the Nazi-type structure of the organization and Mihaloliakos’ role was to blame for violence in Greece that escalated after the GD entered Parliament as third party in 2012.

author: Vasiliki Kokkali