Former Golden Dawn spokesman Kasidiaris released from prison, announces political plans
Ilias Kasidiaris, a 45-year-old former spokesperson for the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, was released from Domokos prison on Tuesday after serving six years of a 13-year sentence for leading a criminal organisation. He immediately announced plans to establish a new far-right political party, though he remains legally barred from holding office until 2033. His release comes as far-right movements gain strength across Europe, including recent electoral victories in Germany.
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Ilias Kasidiaris walked out of Domokos prison in central Greece on Tuesday, raising his fist and holding a folded Greek flag while addressing cheering supporters. He announced his intention to build "a new, strong national party, such as those dominating all of Europe." Kasidiaris had been sentenced to 13 years as a leading member of Golden Dawn, a violent organisation responsible for years of attacks on migrants and political opponents. The party was linked to the 2013 murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas. He served six years of his sentence and worked off the remainder while incarcerated.
Kasidiaris served as a Golden Dawn MP from 2012 to 2019. During his imprisonment, he maintained political activity through a YouTube channel that accumulated more than 160,000 subscribers. In July, billionaire Elon Musk, who has supported far-right parties elsewhere in Europe including Germany's AfD, described Kasidiaris's continued imprisonment as "messed up." Before his 2020 imprisonment, Kasidiaris had already founded a new political party called Hellenes.
His release occurs within a broader context of rising far-right movements across Europe. Germany's AfD recently achieved a regional election victory, the first far-right party success there since World War II. Although Kasidiaris remains formally barred from holding elected office until 2033, his ambition to return to Greek politics is expected to attract close attention from both supporters and opponents.
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