Greece is awaiting a landmark ruling on Wednesday in the appeals trial of 42 members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party who were found guilty of violence in 2020. Thousands are expected to join anti-fascist rallies and a public sector strike in what many see as a test for democracy.
Golden Dawn rose to prominence during the 2012 debt crisis, when 18 of its members were elected to parliament.
The group became known for violent anti-migrant rhetoric and for so-called “assault battalions” that targeted left-wing activists and minorities.
The turning point came in 2013, when anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas was stabbed to death by party member Giorgos Roupakias.
Reviewing verdicts
In 2020, after a five-year trial, a court convicted party leaders including Nikos Michaloliakos of running a criminal organisation. Members were also found guilty over the attempted murder of Egyptian fishermen in Perama and attacks on trade unionists.
The appeals court is now reviewing those verdicts. The prosecutor has recommended that the convictions be upheld in full and has called for harsher sentences for senior figures including Ilias Kasidiaris and Ioannis Lagos.
The decision had initially been expected last week, but deliberations continued. Tension has grown ahead of the announcement, with victims’ families led by Fyssas’s mother Magda calling for closure.
The verdict on Wednesday is expected to draw thousands to Athens. For many, the decision is not only about the court case but about the strength of democracy.
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Strike and rallies
The public sector union Adedy has called a strike in the Attica region until 11am. It has urged workers to gather outside the appeals court at 8.30am.
In a statement, the union called for the “Nazi murderers to receive the harshest possible penalties” adding that the “labor movement fights against fascism and the system that breeds it”.
The Piraeus Labor Center also urged workers and young people to join the rally. “Only through organised struggle can we crush fascism,” it said.
The left-wing opposition party Syriza called for mass participation, saying that “the presence of every democratic citizen is necessary.”
In its statement, the party warned of a resurgence of the far-right across Europe and urged citizens to honour the memory of victims including Pavlos Fyssas and migrant worker Sahzat Lukman.
(with newswires)