ATHENS – Lawyersโค representing victims of the Greek neo-Nazi groupโ Golden Dawn sharply criticized aโ recent court decision โคgrantingโฃ parole to former party leader โขGiorgos Michaloliakos, alleging preferential treatment within the Greek penalโค system.โ The ruling, issued โon September 13, 2024, allows Michaloliakos temporary release โขfrom prison,โ a decision โprosecutors areโ now being urged to challenge.
The controversy underscores ongoingโข concerns about the enduring threat of extremist ideologies in Greece, evenโค as Golden Dawn has been officially outlawed. Michaloliakos, convicted in 2020 as theโ head of a criminal association, began serving a 13-year sentance for charges including orchestrating attacksโข on migrants and political opponents. His release, briefly enacted in May 2024 before being overturned, has ignited accusations of “long-standing favoritism” in โคhis treatment compared to other inmates, according to his legal adversaries.
prosecutors have the power to appeal โthe parole โdecision, perhaps extending โMichaloliakos’s incarceration. He has completed โapproximately half of his original sentence, but further appeals could increase theโข total โtime he serves.โ
the lawyers’ statement warned of “risky conditions” stemming from theโฃ continued existence โof Golden Dawn’s ideology under alternative organizational names. They also called for public participation inโ plannedโข anti-fascist โฃdemonstrations, signaling a renewed effort to counter extremist movements in Greece.