Your porno TV channels called me guilty. I will rub the court’s decision in your face. We are powerful and soon we’ll be dominant.
These were the words last week of Ilias Kasidiaris, second in command of the Greek neo-nazi party Golden Dawn, after leaving the court where was acquitted of being an accessory to the bodily harm and armed robbery of a student in 2007.
In a courtroom occupied by Golden Dawn supporters who wouldn’t allow “others” to sit and who would throw abusive remarks at the victim and the witnesses through their teeth, the atmosphere was tense. The few non-Golden Dawn attendees who managed to get hold of a seat, speak of a trial in which the judge lost control early on and the defence was allowed to pressure witnesses and cast doubt over the charges that Kasidiaris had helped those who attacked the student flee in his car. His licence plate number appeared to place him at the scene, but the jury thought different.
Kasidiaris’s lawyer argued that users of the Indymedia website had “targeted” him by publishing his license plate number. The claim was supported by the sole testimony of a journalist. No print-out or link to the post was provided.
Was this really enough to convince the jury, or did intimidation play a role?
“People with long hair were checked before entering the room,” one of those present, who prefers to remain anonymous, tells me.
On the contrary, the Golden Dawn guys who had swamped the room from early on, were free to roam in and out unchecked. During the trial Kasidiaris’s lawyer was allowed to put on a show, bombarding the witnesses with questions, interrupting their answers and on occasion kept them on the stand after the judge had told them to stand down.
This account points to a phenomenon many have suspected for some time: when it comes to Golden Dawn, Greece’s judicial system is unable to enforce proper procedure.
This doesn’t only happen with Golden Dawn: less than a month ago, eight policemen were acquitted of attacking and severely injuring a student, despite there being video footage of the incident. But it’s the cases involving neo-Nazis that truly shock. In September, a member of the party died in Sparta after a bomb blew up in his hands. (His desired target is still unknown.) An accomplice was arrested, 60 more bombs were found in his house, yet he was allowed to walk free by order of the state prosecutor and the case has since vanished from our radar. It’s this same body that failed to rule Golden Dawn illegal when the racist, violent character of the party and its bloody past became known to all.
Kasidiaris, who came to international attention last year when he physically attacked an opposition MP on live TV, was acquitted. But the court was also guilty of something far worse: not protecting witnesses and attendees from pressure and intimidation. According to my source:
After leaving the court, I saw 3-4 guys with shaved heads standing next to the police, taking pictures of anyone who came out of the court. I walked away to avoid being targeted.
How can one seek out justice for the transgressions of the far-right when the police so blatantly disregard the safety of the public? Some Golden Dawn supporters have been arrested and convicted of violent crimes, when they have been caught red-handed. But the party’s leadership openly encourages, aids and even perpetrates violence, yet goes unpunished. This atmosphere of impunity will only further discourage witnesses from testifying.
What sort of message does this send, and will Greeks who demand justice ever get to see a system that can deliver it?
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