NEWS

Parl’t votes to lift immunity of five Golden Dawn MPs

Parliament on Wednesday voted to lift the immunity of another four Golden Dawn MPs on charges of setting up a criminal organization and also voted in favor of allowing party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris to face additional charges of illegal weapons possession.

A majority of MPs voted in favor of lifting the immunity of Michail Arvanitis-Avramis, Eleni Zaroulia, Nikolaos Kouzilos and Dimitris Koukoutsis.

This brings the total number of GD MPs facing prosecution on charges of setting up a criminal investigation to 13. Six of the 13 are in jail including party leader Nikos Michaloliakos.

MPs also voted in favor of party spokesman, Ilias Kasidiaris, who already faces charges of setting up a criminal organization, facing prosecution on charges of illegal weapons possession.

Also on Wednesday, a parliamentary committee vored in favor of lifting the immunity of three Golden Dawn deputies in connection to an ongoing probe with regard to the operations of the ultranationalist party.

Constantinos Barbarousis, Polyvios Zisimopolos and Chrysovalantis Alexopoulos – the latter recently announced his decision to exit the party – are facing charges over developing and operating a criminal organization.

Barbarousis and Alexopoulos submitted a written deposition to Parliament, while Zisimopoulos answered questions posed by the committee’s members. According to reports all three denied the charges brought against them and stated that their motive behind their decision to join Golden Dawn was “patriotic.”

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