Greek court imposes jail terms on far-right Golden Dawn leaders
Golden Dawn entered parliament for the first time in 2012 at the peak of the crisis on a fiercely anti-immigrant platform, tapping into Greeks’ anger over painful austerity measures and what many saw as a corrupt and cosy political establishment.The court handed down 13-year jail terms to six former lawmakers, including Golden Dawn’s leader Nikos Mihaloliakos.Other former lawmakers were sentenced to 5-7 years in prison for being members of a criminal group. The court will decide later this week if any of the sentences can be suspended.Golden Dawn’s top figures were arrested in 2013, after the killing of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a party supporter prompted huge protests across Greece and led to a government crackdown on the party. Police found unlicensed weapons and Nazi flags in the homes of party members.On Wednesday, the court also imposed a life sentence and 10 year in jail to Golden Dawn member Yiorgos Roupakias for the murder of Fyssas.
