Appellate-level prosecutor files appeal against Golden Dawn leader's release
Lamia Appeals Court Prosecutor Nikitas Theologidis on Wednesday filed an appeal against the early release on parole of Nikos Michaloliakos, the leader of the neonazi group Golden Dawn, who had been sentenced to serve 13 years in prison for his leadership role in the criminal organisation, which had adopted the guise of a political party.
After studying the ruling leading to Michaloliakos' release from jail, Theologidis found that the judges on the Lamia Misdemeanours Justices' Council had erred in their evaluation and not given sufficient weight to the articles written by the prisoner after his conviction. According to the prosecutor, these indicate that he not only fails to fulfill the requirements of good behaviour after conviction but poses a risk for reoffending once released.
This position is the same as that adopted by the public prosecutor serving on the Council that examined Michaloliakos' original petition for release with conditions, who recommended that it be denied as he had shown no signs of remorse or moral improvement. The judges on the panel, however, decided that any doubts should act in the prisoner's favour, rather than the reverse, and did not accept that the articles indicated a risk of reoffending.
Theologidis' appeal against the decision will be examined by a council of appellate judges, who will take the final decision on whether Michaloliakos should remain at large or be led back to Domokos prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
AMNA
