Nazi party

Greece's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the far-right party Spartiates (Spartans) will be excluded from the upcoming European parliament elections. 

The Supreme court unveiled the final roster of parties that are set to compete on June 9 and deemed that the far-right party could not participate.

One woman was injured and 13 people were arrested on Wednesday night in clashes between far-right groups and anti-fascists in central Athens, following gatherings on the 10th anniversary of the murder of two members of the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn. 

A total of 60 people were detained. 

In any other European state, there would be no debate about allowing convicted neo-Nazis to submit their candidacy for any level of government, be it in local, national or European elections. This is often overlooked when discussing the possible election of members from the now-defunct neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, and its convicted former spokesman, Ilias Kasidiaris.

In September 2013, following the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, the Greek authorities launched a crackdown on the leadership of Golden Dawn. A person who is now 17 years old and has just voted for the first time in the May and June elections was only 7 back then.

Ilias Kasidiaris, a former Golden Dawn party MP, who was handed a prison sentence of 13 years, speaking during the Golden Dawn trial in Athens, October 21, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/PANTELIS SAITAS

Christie's auction house will next week launch the sale of hundreds of jewels that belonged to Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten, whose German businessman husband made his fortune under the Nazis.

The question remains, since there has been no convincing and honest answer: How is it possible that although members of Golden Dawn have been convicted on the first instance, the case is still under appeal? The murder of the rapper Pavlos Fyssas, which led to the authorities' crackdown on the neo-Nazi party and the charges against its leadership, occurred in 2013.

The government on Thursday tabled a draft amendment essentially aimed to prevent the participation of a burgeoning political party in this year's general election, established by convicted and still imprisoned Ilias Kasidiaris.

A court in Athens on Friday ordered police to force a crucial witness to appear and testify in the ongoing appeal trial against the landmark October 2020 verdict that found the leadership of the neo-Nazi party guilty of running a criminal organization, among other serious crimes.

The German ambassador to Pristina, Joern Rohde, said on Monday that he is "very concerned" about the renovation of the former house of "known Nazi collaborator" Xhafer Devi in the northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica.

"No history whitewashing! Don't distort the truth about the Holocaust or war crimes committed by the Nazis and local collaborators," Rohde wrote on Twitter.