Greek prosecutor seeks all GD MPs to stand trial

Author: newsroom  | Published: October 17, 2014

A total of 70 neo-Nazi GD members, including 17 MPs, will be brought to justice for their involvement in murder, weapons offences and attacks on immigrants, leftwing activists and gay people

Greek ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn (GD) deputies are standing trial for the murder of leftist rapper Pavlos Fyssas (aka Killah P) following an investigation by state prosecutor Isidoros Doyiakos. 70 party members, including the jailed party leaders and all 17 other elected members, are called to stand trail on charges ranging from running a criminal organization to murder and weapons offenses.

The prosecutor’s 700-page argument outlines the GD’s involvement in the murder and describes the organization as a strictly hierarchical criminal group that aims “to propagate and impose its political beliefs and theories through violence.”

The stimulus for casting the spotlight on the litany of illegal activities in which GD is employed came following the gang-styled murder of Fyssas in September 2013. Over seven people wearing full-face hoods accosted the victim at the Koralli cafe at Pavlou Mela street at Keratsini in Piraeus where Mr. Fyssas was watching a football match on the big screen with a group of friends. The murderers waited for Mr. Fyssas to leave the cafe and stabbed before his death was confirmed at the General Hospital of Nikaia.

While still conscious, Mr. Fyssas had implicated GD member Giorgos Roupakias, who had been in contact with GD leader Nikos Michaloliakos as well as George Patelli, the leader of the local branch of GD.

The group is also accused of the murder of Pakistani immigrant Luqman Shahzad in January 2013 as well as other assaults on foreign nationals and leftist activists.

Mr. Doyiakis proposed that a total of 70 party members be indicted, amongst them the party’s leader and imprisoned MPs Ilias Kasidiaris, Christos Papas, Ioannis Lagos, Giorgos Germenis, Nikos Kouzoulos, Panagiotis Iliopoulos as well as ex member Stathis Mpoukouras. 15 members initially occused, should be cleared, he said.

Established in the Eighties, the group was on the fringe of Greek politics until widespread anger over immigration and austerity reforms caused by the financial crisis led to it winning 18 seats of the 300-membered Parliament despite the group’s open admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year, its support peaked to 15% becoming the third-most popular party in Greece though backing for the party has dropped to 7% since then. It came third at the local and EU elections.

Now the group faces danger of being disbanded as a three-member panel of judges issues its final indictment over the coming weeks.