The 459th sitting of the Golden Dawn trial scheduled at midday in Athens Appeal Court has resulted in lengthy prison terms for the organization's leaders and former leaders.
The presiding judge, Maria Lepenioti, as expected, handed down sentences to the 57 people convicted in the trial of running a criminal organization and for the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.
Although the trial did not begin until 12:55 local time, it did not take long for prison sentences to be handed down.
For directing a criminal organization, Golden Dawn:
Nikos Michaloliakos, founder and leader of Golden Dawn: 13 years and 1 year with a €1,000 fine for illegal possession of weapons.
Ilias Kasidiaris, former Golden Dawn Member of Parliament and founder and leader of the Greeks for the Fatherland Party: 13 years.
Ioannis Lagos, former Golden Dawn member and independent Member of the European Parliament: 13 years.
Ilias Panagiotaros, former Golden Dawn Member of Parliament: 13 years.
Artemios Matthaiopoulos, former Golden Dawn Member of Parliament: 10 years.
Giorgos Germenis, former Golden Dawn Member of Parliament: 13 years.
Christos Pappas, former Golden Dawn Member of Parliament: 13 years.
For the attacks on PAME trade unionists
Ioannis Kastrinos: Two years for dangerous bodily harm.
Anastasios (Tasos) Pantazis: Two years for each case of dangerous bodily harm, 10 months for disturbing the common peace and 16 months for illegal possession of weapons.
Christos-Antonios Chatzidakis: Two years for each case of dangerous bodily harm, 10 months for disturbing the common peace, and four years for membership of criminal organization.
For member in a criminal organization
Nikolas Apostolou: Seven years.
Aristodimos Daskalakis: Five years.
Dionysis Liakopoulos: Six years.
Thomas Barekas: Six years for membership and six months and €600 for illegal possession of weapons.
Nikolaos Papavasiliou: Six years.
Venetia (Veta) Popori: Six years, three years with a €3000 fine for illegal possession of weapons, and 1 year and €1000 for violation of Law 456/1975 (on flares etc).
Vasilis Siatounis: Six years.
Christos Stergiopoulos: Six years.
Athanasios Stratos: Six years.
Panagiotis Iliopoulos: Seven years.
Polyvios Zisimopoulos: Six years.
Antonis Gregos: Six years.
Nikos Michos: Five years and two years for illegal possession of weapons and €2000 fine.
Nikos Kouzilos: Seven years.
Stathis Boukouras: Five years and one year and €1000 for illegal possession of weapons.
Kostas Barbarousis: Six years.
Chrysovalantis Alexopoulos: Five years.
Michail Arvanitis-Avramis: Five years.
Eleni Zaroulia: Six years.
Dimitris Koukoutsis: Six years.
Penalties for additional charges/individual offenses without membership
Margarita Mikelatou: Two years for perjury.
Theodoros Stefas: 14 months and €1000 fine for illegal possession of weapons, and six months and €600 for violation of Law 456/1975 (on flares etc).
Theoni Skarpeli: One year and €1000 fine for illegal possession of weapons.
Defendants to appeal the verdict and ask for bail. Court to decide on bail soon, but will likely reject it.
Golden Dawn was founded as a neo-Nazi group in the 1980s but only rose to prominence during the Euro financial crisis began in 2008 and entered the Greek parliament for the first time in 2012 after tapping into citizens' concerns about migration and harsh austerity measures imposed by the European Union.
