Jailed Kasidiaris backs new party in bid to bypass election ban

A far-right party banned from participating in the upcoming election has pledged support for a newly founded political group that received Supreme Court approval to field candidates.

It was the latest twist in Greece's volatile far-right politics that could have an impact on the upcoming election.

The Supreme Court this week upheld an earlier election ban on the Greeks Party. The ruling was based on recently approved legislation that denies political groups tied to serious offenses or opposed to the democratic nature of the constitution the right to put up candidates.

The party's founder, former MP Ilias Kasidiaris, 42, is serving a prison sentence of 13 years and six months for membership in a criminal organization. He is a former leading member of Golden Dawn, a party of neo-Nazi origins linked to multiple violent street attacks.

Kasidiaris said Friday...