Golden Dawn official faces magistrate over brutal beating of student

A 42-year-old official of Golden Dawn charged in connection with the violent beating of a 24-year-old student last Friday was to defend himself before an investigating magistrate on Monday.

The suspect, who works at the neo-Nazi party's Athens headquarters on Mesogeion Avenue and used to work in the office in Parliament of GD leader Nikos Michaloliakos, was positively identified by witnesses to the attack though he denies any involvement.

According to witness accounts, the perpetrators beat the student until he passed out and then stole his bag.

The attack on the 24-year-old came just a few hours after unknown assailants used sledgehammers to vandalize GD's headquarters.