Kasidiaris denies responsibility for Golden Dawn crimes
Ilias Kasidiaris, who is serving a 13-year sentence for his involvement in the criminal activities of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, has attempted to distance himself from the organization’s crimes during his appeal hearing at Athens Court of Appeals.
Alternating between expressions of remorse and claims of injustice, the former MP spoke of “vile criminal acts” committed by party supporters but said he had no responsibility for them.
He condemned the murder of musician Pavlos Fyssas in 2013 and the attack on Egyptian fishermen in 2021, describing the former incident as a “heinous crime.”
“I have said that the Fyssas murder was the murder of Golden Dawn. It is condemnable because a fellow citizen of ours died, but for me it is doubly condemnable because the perpetrator was a member of Golden Dawn. A heinous crime, which was committed in front of police officers and no one prevented it. [The perpetrator] ‘murdered’ me too, because I spent six years in prison. I constantly condemn it,” he told the court.
“If I could turn back the clock, I wouldn’t open [Golden Dawn] offices everywhere,” he said, as it led to “control” being “lost” over the party.
Kasidiaris also rejected claims that he trained party members in military-style exercises, saying the only photos of him in uniform were from licensed reserve officers’ club events. He admitted proposing that Golden Dawn members wear black T-shirts during events, which he said he now regrets.
He also alleged political interference in the original trial proceedings.
Kathimerini
