Golden Dawn trial set to resume on June 8, at Korydallos
The trial of Golden Dawn leaders and members was adjourned yet again Thursday and is to resume on Monday at a specially designed courtroom at Attica’s high-security Korydallos Prison despite objections by local authorities and residents to the choice of venue.
As with all the sessions since the trial opened on April 20, lawmakers of the neofascist party were conspicuous by their absence from court Thursday. Defense lawyers representing the MPs and dozens of party supporters and members asked that alleged victims of GD should not be allowed to appear in court as civil claimants.
In what appeared to be a symbolic move, judges allowed the mother and sister of Pavlos Fyssas, a leftist rapper murdered in 2013 by a self-professed Golden Dawn supporter, to address the court as civil claimants. It remained unclear when the court would rule on the defense lawyers’ request.
Local authorities and residents have lobbied for the landmark trial to be moved to another venue but the government has said this cannot be done until September, by which time a space is to have been designated at the Athens Appeals Court.
The presiding judge, Maria Lepeniotou, said Thursday that the trial would continue at Korydallos Prison until further notice, adding that she had asked the leadership of the Greek Police to increase security.
