GD MP's lawyer quits following rejection of release appeal

The lawyer of Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, currently in pretrial detention over charges of illegal weapons possession, has quit after judges rejected his appeal for the release of his client.

In a written statement released to the media on Thursday, Nikos Antoniadis said the detention of the ultranationalist MP for “the ‘punishable’ offense of owning a hunting rifle... is an insult to the country’s legal customs and to citizens’ intelligence.”

The trial of more than 60 people, including 16 Golden Dawn MPs, accused of being part of a criminal organization is expected to begin by early November.