Greek police arrest far-right party leader

Greek police arrest far-right party leader

 

Golden Dawn's Nikos Mihaloliakos has been arrested on charges of forming a criminal organisation, police say.

 

The leader of the Greek far-right Golden Dawn party has been arrested on charges of forming "a criminal organisation", police say.

 

Nikos Mihaloliakos, the party's secretary-general, was arrested along with Ilias Kassidiaris, the party's spokesperson, police said on Saturday.

 

Warrants for the arrest of another five Golden Dawn parliament deputies have been issued, authorities said.

 

The police counterterrorism unit is currently looking for the deputies, and more warrants are expected.

 

The arrests come several days after the killing of a left-wing activist rapper by an alleged Golden Dawn member.

 

The arrests came a day after Golden Dawn threatened to quit parliament, a move that would prompt by-elections in the recession-hit country where the government is struggling to implement painful public sector reforms in return for international bailout funds.

 

A formerly marginal organization with neo-Nazi roots, Golden Dawn entered the Greek Parliament for the first time in May 2012, capitalising on Greece's deep financial crisis, rising crime and anti-immigrant sentiment, polling just under 7 percent.

 

It has 18 members of parliament.

 

A government spokesman refused to comment on the details of Saturday's operation.

 

"Democracy can protect itself. Justice will do its job,'' government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told reporters.

 

Golden Dawn's members and supporters have frequently been suspected of carrying out violent attacks, mainly against immigrants.

 

Despite its reputation for violence, the party had enjoyed growing popularity as poverty has risen in Greece.

 

(Source: Al Jazeera)

 

(Al Jazeera, 28 Saturday September 2013 The Roman)