Tension Mounts in Golden Dawn Appeals Trial: MP Expelled After Calling Judges ‘Trash’

Five years aft a landmark little tribunal ruling branded Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn enactment a transgression organization, the appeals process has kicked disconnected with heated testimonies and courtroom play astatine the Athens Mixed Felony Court of Appeals.

In a league marked by defiance and interruptions, Eleni Zaroulia, woman of erstwhile Golden Dawn person Nikos Michaloliakos, took the basal to support herself against charges of rank successful the neo-Nazi group. Zaroulia, who was sentenced to six years successful situation astatine archetypal instance, categorically denied immoderate engagement successful the organization’s transgression activities. “I’m lone present due to the fact that of my presumption arsenic the woman of Nikos Michaloliakos,” she insisted, attributing her predicament to her matrimony alternatively than idiosyncratic actions.

The grounds turned affectional erstwhile Zaroulia addressed the 2013 stabbing decease of rapper Pavlos Fyssas, which became the catalyst for the sprawling probe into Golden Dawn’s convulsive operations. She claimed she and her hubby learned of the execution lone the pursuing day, aft authorities began raiding enactment offices. “I informed my hubby astir Fyssas’ killing,” she added.

Pressed by presiding justice Maria Nikolopoulou connected whether Michaloliakos had received immoderate calls that night, Zaroulia replied flatly: “No.” The justice followed up, noting the flurry of messages exchanged among Golden Dawn members that evening: “Didn’t they pass the wide secretary? Wasn’t helium kept successful the loop connected everything successful the party?”

“Normally, yes, similar with the wealth matters,” Zaroulia responded. “But it wasn’t 100% that way.”

Overseeing the proceedings from the nationalist assemblage was Magda Fyssa, the victim’s mother, who has attended astir each proceeding successful the decade-long saga, steadfastly awaiting a last verdict connected the lawsuit that exposed Golden Dawn’s paramilitary underbelly.

Zaroulia’s apology besides delved into her husband’s deteriorating health, explaining wherefore the imprisoned Michaloliakos – convicted of directing the transgression enactment – would not testify. “His wellness has been destroyed,” she said, her dependable breaking.

Tensions boiled implicit erstwhile authoritative Adamantia Theofanous began probing Zaroulia connected inflammatory enactment rhetoric, including references to “kids successful achromatic shirts” – a motion to Golden Dawn’s uniformed militants. Zaroulia described them arsenic “those who gave their humor and helped causes for the Greek taxpayer.”

The questioning shifted to Zaroulia’s past statements connected immigrants, wherever she countered accusations of hatred code by claiming Golden Dawn members had faced their ain discrimination. “When they telephone america each ‘ape-men’ crossed the antiauthoritarian spectrum, nary authoritative ever intervened,” she said. “We’ve suffered racism too. With the left’s hatred rhetoric, my car was acceptable connected fire. My remark connected foreigners was made successful the vigor of the moment.”

On whether the enactment espoused Nazi ideology, Zaroulia was unequivocal: “The enactment ne'er did. When you’re philosophizing with friends successful a room, you tin accidental whatever. In Greece, thought isn’t prosecuted. We ne'er said specified things publicly.”

Theofanous past referenced hate-filled speeches by Michaloliakos, prompting an outburst from chap suspect and erstwhile Golden Dawn MP Ioannis Lagos, who has been attending the trial. “You’ve been asking lone astir speeches for truthful long,” Lagos interjected. “Not a azygous transgression act.”

“Why bash my questions fuss you?” the authoritative changeable back.

“You’re grilling the pistillate for ages conscionable connected speeches,” Lagos retorted.

The presiding justice swiftly ordered Lagos’ expulsion from the courtroom “until further notice” for disrupting the testimony. As helium was led out, Lagos shouted: “Not the apology – I’m interrupting the slaughter! You’ve been ordered to transportation retired commands. Trash…”

Notably, respective defendants person yet to look for their appeals testimonies. Having served their archetypal sentences amid the prolonged ineligible battle, galore are present escaped and person chosen not to prosecute further successful the second-degree proceedings.

The Golden Dawn trial, 1 of Europe’s astir important cases against far-right extremism, continues with much apologies scheduled. The appeals tribunal volition yet determine whether to uphold, reduce, oregon overturn the archetypal convictions, which saw implicit 50 members recovered guilty, including beingness sentences for Fyssas’ killers. For Greece’s Greek diaspora and planetary observers, the result remains a litmus trial for the nation’s reckoning with its darkest governmental fringes.

(Source: In.gr)