Greek far-right leader, other legislators arrested – 09-28-2013
The leader of Greece’s extreme-right Golden Dawn party and four other of its parliamentarians were formally charged Saturday with membership in a criminal organization with intent to commit crimes, in an escalation of a government crackdown after a fatal stabbing blamed on a supporter.
It was the first time since 1974 that sitting members of Parliament have been arrested. The arrests underline the Greek government’s efforts to stifle the fiercely anti-immigrant party, which has been increasingly on the defensive since the killing.
Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos, party spokesman Ilias Kassidiaris and Yannis Lagos, Nikos Michos and Ilias Panayiotaros were arrested by counterterrorism police. The last two gave themselves up voluntarily. A sixth parliamentarian, Christos Pappas — described in a prosecutor’s report as the Golden Dawn’s No. 2 — remains at large.
A further 15 people, including 13 Golden Dawn members and two police officers, have also been arrested and are due to appear before a prosecutor and an examining magistrate soon. They face the same charges.
Police spokesman Christos Pagonis told reporters that a total of arrest warrants were issued, all for the same charge; he added that the counterterrorism unit was still searching for the 12 suspects at large, including the missing deputy.
“It is an unprecedentedly dynamic response to a neo-Nazi organization,” government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told The Associated Press, hinting the arrests were the culmination of a long strategy to deal with Golden Dawn as a criminal, not a political force.
“The prime minister and the government were determined to deal with Golden Dawn solely through the justice system … We have succeeded in stripping them of their political cover and deal with them as what they really are, a criminal organization,” Kedikoglou said.
Citizen protection minister Nikos Dendias compared Golden Dawn members to German SS squads.
