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Maria S. Topalova

A three-member panel of the Athens Court of Appeal today proceeded with the case against the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn but postponed the first session to the 7^th of May. The leaders of the Greek neo-Nazis failed to appear in court and one of them was not even represented by a lawyer, which was why the judges postponed the case. Only 40 of the 69 defendants appeared in court, including former MP of Golden Dawn Stathis Boukouras whereas party leader Nikos Michaloliakos, spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris and the entire party leadership failed to appear. Legal analysts comment that in this way Golden Dawn is denying the justice system in the country and that the lawyers for the defendants will use every occasion to boycott and delay the procedure of justice.

The political observers describe the trial as historically important because for the first time political leaders are in the dock on criminal charges. This is also the first lawsuit on charges of Nazism and fascism in the modern history of Greece.

The trial is historically important due to its scale as well - it involves 69 defendants, 130 counsels and 150 summoned witnesses. After hearing them, judges Maria Lepenioti, Andreas Dokos and Gesthimani Tsoulfoglu will have to decide whether Golden Dawn is a Nazi organization that acted under the guise of a political party, which Deputy Prosecutor Haralambos Vourliotis states in his multi-page indictment.

The prosecutor's contention is supported by three specific cases. The first is the murder of rapper Pavlos Fyssas in September 2013 by members of the Greek neo-Nazis. Fyssas’ parents were among the first to arrive in the courtroom. The physical killer of the rapper, Georgios Roupakias, was present as well.

The second case is the murder of a Pakistani worker in the neighbourhood of Petralona in 2012. The representatives of many immigrant organizations were in the courtroom, who will testify during the trial for a series of attacks against foreigners. The third case is associated with the attacks against members of the communist trade union PAME in the neighbourhood of Perama again in September 2013.

The trial began under draconian security measures in a specially equipped hall in the women's wing of Korydallos prison. Long before the scheduled time powerful units of the riot forces had closed off the area around the prison because two demonstrations of members and supporters of Golden Dawn and of left and immigrant organizations against racism and fascism were taking place in parallel.