Ilias Kasidiaris walked free from Domokos prison on Tuesday afternoon after completing his sentence for participating in the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn criminal organisation. In a statement after his release, he announced he intends to return to politics, saying: “I promised you that as soon as I passed through this gate, I would return not only to freedom, but also to the front line of national struggles.”
As he left the prison, Kasidiaris carried a Greek flag. Dozens of supporters were waiting outside and greeted him as he passed through the gate.
“I am returning, and I am not alone – a strong national party stands with me, like those that dominate across Europe. My aim is to free the country from the most corrupt government since the return of democracy,” he said.
He added: “I see politicians on television whining and conspiring that I must not be allowed to return to parliament. But in a democracy, there is only one judge – the sovereign people, you, the thinking citizens of Greece.”
Kasidiaris’s lawyer, Vassi Pantazi, told Status 107.7 that “Kasidiaris cannot found a party or hold a founding position in one, but he can run with another political formation.” She clarified: “I am referring to an existing, non-parliamentary faction. Independent MPs – not only former Spartans – will form such a grouping.”
“The people he will work with will be like-minded, belonging to the conservative right and far right, with the cost of living and immigration as their main issues,” Pantazi added, referring to “contacts with the Niki party, while he is certainly also appealing to the voters of Latinopoulou and Velopoulos.”
Kasidiaris is seeking a legal pathway to stand in Greece’s next national elections, due in early 2027, after previous attempts failed, Euractiv reported.
Legislation introduced by the ruling New Democracy party bars parties whose members have been convicted of leading a criminal organisation from participating in elections, and also scrutinises whether a party’s leadership is “genuine,” a rule that can block parties serving as a front for a convicted individual.
A Greek lawmaker, speaking to Euractiv on condition of anonymity, said: “There are court rulings in place, and it will be difficult to circumvent the Supreme Court.”
Golden Dawn entered the Greek parliament in 2012, at the height of the country’s economic crisis, eventually becoming the third-largest party with 21 seats and nearly 7% of the vote.
The 2013 murder of anti-fascist musician Pavlos Fyssas by Golden Dawn member Giorgos Roupakias triggered a judicial investigation into the party, which led to Golden Dawn being convicted as a criminal organisation in October 2020.
Seven senior figures, including party leader Nikos Michaloliakos and Kasidiaris, were found guilty of leading a criminal organisation and received sentences of 13 years or more. He spent 6 years in prison.
(information from protothema.gr, Euractiv)
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