Nikos Michaloliakos

The chief and a leading MP of the far-right Golden Dawn party, accused of constituting a criminal organization, were released from custody on Friday after the expiry of the 18-month period allowed by law to hold suspects awaiting trial.

The judges who are to try dozens of members of Golden Dawn, including the leadership of the neofascist party and all its current and former legislators, were named on Wednesday.

The names drawn for the trial, which is to start on April 20, include Maria Lepenioti, who will preside over the proceedings, with Maria Varka as the court?s alternate president.

Two public prosecutors on Tuesday suggested the conditional release of Golden Dawn chief Nikos Michaloliakos and the party?s second-in-command, Christos Pappas, after their 18-month maxim detention period ends on March 29. Both Golden Gawn officials are facing charges for organizing and leading a criminal organization.

At least three members of Greece?s neofascist Golden Dawn party, including leader Nikos Michaloliakos, are set to be released from custody ahead of their trial on charges of forming a criminal organization, Kathimerini understands.

Keratsini Municipality in southern Athens said on Thursday that there is still an ?open front? with fascists in the area after a monument erected in memory of rapper Pavlos Fyssas, murdered by a Golden Dawn member in September 2013, was vandalized.

Golden Dawn legislator Christos Pappas, the second-in-command to the leader of the neofascist party Nikos Michaloliakos, is to be given conditional release on March 29, according to a decision by a council of appeals court judges issued on Friday.

The new Greek Parliament was sworn in on Thursday, with some of the House?s 300 deputies taking religious oaths and others civil ones.

The swearing-in ceremony began with a blessing from Archbishop Ieronymos, the head of the Church of Greece, and was followed by newly-elected MPs taking Greek Orthodox, Muslim and civil oaths.

Dozens of members of Greece?s neofascist Golden Dawn including the party?s leader Nikos Michaloliakos (photo) and all GD MPs ? current and former ? are to stand trial, possibly by mid-March, on a string of criminal charges including running a criminal organization, a committee of judges ruled on Wednesday.

Greek judges are sending 72 members of neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn including its leaders to trial for crimes including murder, a judicial source said on Wednesday.

?Seventy-two people, including party leader Nikos Michaloliakos and all of Golden Dawn's lawmakers in the previous parliament will be tried,? the source said.

Two public prosecutors on Tuesday proposed strict conditions to accompany the scheduled release on March 29 of Golden Dawn chief Nikos Michaloliakos (photo) and the party?s second-in-command, Christos Pappas, after their 18-month maximum detention period ends.

Both Golden Dawn officials are facing charges of organizing and leading a criminal organization.