NEO-NAZI COMEBACK

                                      

 

The events that marked Greece in the last few days raise the question of whether neo-Nazis are making a comeback in the country.

 

On Thursday, Greeks celebrated the one-year anniversary of the conviction and imprisonment of the neo-Nazi party, Golden Dawn parliamentary members.

 

The court convicted a total of 68 members of the neo-Nazi group, including seven of the parliamentary group, as a criminal organization “dressed in a mantle of a political party.”

 

Crowds rejoiced outside the Athens count as they heard the conviction of Golden Dawn last year. 

 

A series of violent events marked the last four days due to far-right extremist groups along with Golden Dawn supporters turned the area around a Thessaloniki high school into a bloody battleground for several days.

 

Hooded high-school students and others suspected of belonging to far-right groups attacked groups of-non-fascists who went to the Stavroupolis school to protest against the violence.

 

The repeated phenomenon in Thessaloniki that also had soccer hooligans fighting against leftist hooligans has raised great concern.

 

Violence erupted in the Neo-Heraklion suburb of Athens as well as far-right extremists attacked a group of anti-fascist student protesters.

Greece’s Supreme court prosecutor Vassilis Pliotas has made modes to investigate the violence of right-wing extremists. 

The prosecutor sent directions to the Athens and Thessaloniki prosecutorial services to investigate the phenomenon and track down suspicious neo—Nazi groups.

 

There are concerns that far-right extremists may be working on forming a neo-Nazi coalition under guidance from jailed Golden Dawn members.   Early in the week, police arrested a 30-year-old man brandishing a swastika tattoo and knife who was recognized b bystanders for beating leftist students in Neo Heraklion.

 

The man claimed he was reacting in self-defense and even though he was a Golden Dawn member, he has left his Nazi past behind and covered his swastika tattoo.  The man was given a 36-month suspended sentence for causing grave bodily harm and weapons possession but was not jailed   The light sentence has infuriated those who fear a neo-Nazi comeback.                                    

 

Jailed former Golden Dawn member, Ilias Kasidiaris, has now found a new party called “Gia tin Patrida” (For the Homeland).   Kazidiaris is serving a sentence of 13 years and 3 months at Domokos prison.  All Golden Dawn leading members have received the same sentence.

 

However, this has not stopped the ultra-right from preaching to the converted behind bars  His comments are considered hate speech.

 

On the 11^th September, Kasidiaris addressed a garnering of like-minded people in Thessaloniki, making a speech over the telephone.

On Wednesday, Anti-Crime Policy Secretary-General Sofia Nikolaou sent a letter to the Domokos prison administration asking them to examine Kasidiaris’ phone calls.

 

In the letter, Nikolaou asked whether he uses prison phones to make political statements for a neo-Nazi comeback and can lead to incitement of hatred.    

 

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