After a five-and-a-half-year marathon hearing, an Athens court ruled that crimes committed by Golden Dawn members, including murder, attempted murder, assault and possession of weapons, were not the actions of individuals operating on their own initiative. Instead they were directly organized and commanded by the party leadership who employed violence to eliminate enemies.
Among those convicted on Wednesday were former former legislators of the party, including Nikos Michaloliakos, the leader who founded Golden Dawn in the 1980s. Individual sentences are to be announced in the coming days.
Leaders have denied the allegations from the outset, claiming they are victims of political repression.
Party members and alleged allies – dozens of others – have been convicted on charges ranging from murder to lying. Most of these have been linked to violent attacks between 2012 and 2013. These include the deadly stabbing of popular-anti-fascist hip hop singer Pavlos Fayas and attacks on immigrants and leftists.
The decision takes more than 5050 days to complete in court and hundreds of pieces of evidence and hours of data are collected from the cellphones and laptops of those arrested. These include photos of Golden Dawn recruits in training camps posting with assault weapons and saluting the Nazi type.
“There is a clear message in this landmark case that hate crimes will no longer be tolerated. [the decision] It could also have a significant impact on preventing racist violence in the future, “said Nils Musenix, head of Amnesty International Europe.
Prosecutor Thanasis Kambagianinis, prosecuting, called the hearing “the largest Nazi court hearing since Nuremberg.”
The trial began in April 2015, with about 70 members of the Golden Dawn charged under the so-called “mafia clause”.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Wednesday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Left-wing parties, trade unions and anti-fascist and human rights groups rallied around the court on Wednesday.
Among those present were victims of racist violence, some showing knife marks, waving banners with the words: “They are not innocent. Nazis in prison.”
Rich in symbolism, the verdict provides a moment of catharsis in a country that is still healing from the wounds of its recent economic and political past, pushing voters from turmoil to extremes.
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