Greek Nazi leaders arrested

The first to be arrested is the leader, Nikolaos Mihaloliakos, and then the second person in charge, the Spokesperson of Golden Dawn, Ilias Kasidhiaris and three other Parliament Members. Eight other officials have been arrested too, while the police is continuing an operation for finding and arresting the other members.

Among the arrested ones is Jorgos Patelis, one of the highest officials of this party, and the leader of its branch in the Nikaia neighborhood, Athens, where an anti-fascist singer was killed several days ago by one Golden Dawn member.

The Supreme Court says that the main charges are about the connection with a criminal organization that uses violence against the Greek citizens and foreign immigrants, which is a threat for the public safety.

According to journalists, the investigators are also looking into five other murders committed in the past years, and several violent attacks that have been discovered by the tabulates of the phone calls made between the members.

The suspects were sent to the Police Directory, while security measures have been undertaken throughout the country for any possible violent reaction by members and supporters of this party, which within one year became the third political party in the country, profiting from the economic crisis.

But the murder of the anti-fascist singer, Pavlos Fissas, on September 18th by a neo-nazi member who admitted the crime, has completely changed the balances, and initiated investigations that are bringing this political force down.

The Spokesperson of the Greek government, Simos Kedhikoglou, declared after the first arrests that democracy has protective institutions and justice has its own instruments. He excluded the possibility of early elections.

It is the first time that a party leader and Parliament Members are arrested in Greece, since 1974.

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