A Greek court ruled that the far-right Golden Dawn party was operated as a criminal organization by its leaders, Ekathimerini reported.
In a long-awaited verdicts on Wednesday, the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece found that its 18 former MPs are guilty of running or participating in a criminal organization. The 5-year-long trial involved 68 defendants in four related cases.
They included the killing of rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013, attacks on Egyptian fishermen in 2012, attacks on left-wing activists in 2013, and charges that the party operated as a criminal organization.
Golden Dawn was founded in 1985, often described as neo-nazi and fascist. Following the 2008 financial crisis, in 2012 it entered the Greeek parliament. It got parliamentary seats in four elections until 2019.
A large crowd of more that 15,000 waited the verdict outside the courthouse, staging an anti-fascist rally.
Giorgos Roupakias, a party supporter, was found guilty of the murder of Fyssas.
“Pavlos did it. My son!”, the late rapper’s mother Magda Fyssa shouted with her arms up upon hearing the verdict.
Only 15 of the defendants were acquitted. Of the 68, only 11 were present, and none of the 18 MPs were there.
Their sentences will be delivered later, but leading a criminal organization could result in up to 15 years in prison, participating in one, up to 10. Roupakias faces a life sentence.
