Parliament rejects request to lift immunity of New Left leader

Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a request to lift the parliamentary immunity of New Left leader Alexis Haritsis, in connection with his participation in farmers’ road blockades in Karditsa last February.

The request concerned an alleged offence of obstructing transportation during Haritsis' visit to the protest site, where farmers had blocked parts of the national road network.

Following the Ethics Committee’s recommendation, 254 MPs voted against lifting Haritsis’ immunity.

New Left parliamentary representative Nasos Iliopoulos condemned the prosecution effort, stating: “The fact that a case file has been submitted to Parliament simply because a party leader participated in farmers’ mobilisations demonstrates the country’s dangerous descent into authoritarianism under New Democracy.”