Nikos Michaloliakos, the founder of Greece’s Golden Dawn party, has been ordered back to prison after an appeals court overturned a widely criticised decision to release him on parole. The judicial council of the court of appeals decided on Monday that Michaloliakos, 66, who was granted early release on May 2, was “unrepentant” and should not have his sentence shortened.
Michaloliakos was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison in 2020 for leading a “criminal organisation” responsible for violent attacks and murders targeting immigrants, refugees, and political opponents. His release last month, approved by a board of judges considering the time he had served and his health condition, sparked significant backlash from political parties and non-governmental organisations.
The judicial council, upon reviewing an appeal by the deputy prosecutor in Lamia, ruled that Michaloliakos had not demonstrated good behaviour while on parole. According to a source from AFP, Michaloliakos had published writings indicating a lack of remorse for his actions. The Athens News Agency reported that the panel found Michaloliakos continued to endorse the Nazi-style practices of Golden Dawn and was suspected of potential future criminal activities.
Violent History and Legal Proceedings
On Monday, Michaloliakos was detained and is expected to appear before a prosecutor, state TV and police officials reported. The crimes associated with Michaloliakos and other Golden Dawn members include the 2013 murders of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas and Pakistani migrant Shehzad Luqman, as well as violent assaults on Egyptian fishermen and communist trade unionists.
Michaloliakos, a mathematician and Holocaust denier has also been prohibited from contacting other individuals convicted in the case. His organisation, Golden Dawn, known for its xenophobic and anti-Semitic ideology, remained a fringe party for decades until Greece’s 2010 debt crisis. Exploiting public discontent over immigration and austerity measures, Golden Dawn gained parliamentary seats for the first time in 2012. At its peak, it was the third-largest party in the Greek parliament.
The reversal of Michaloliakos’ parole and his return to prison is a significant development in Greece’s ongoing efforts to address and curb the influence of extremist political factions.
