GD trial to resume with father of slain rapper taking stand
After five months of pretrial motions, the trial of Golden Dawn is expected to get under way on Tuesday with the commencement of witness testimonies, starting with that of Panayiotis Fyssas, the father of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, fatally stabbed two years ago by a member of the neofascist party, in Keratsini, western Athens.
The prosecution is expected to use recent comments by Golden Dawn chief Nikos Michaloliakos, who said his party “assumes the political responsibility” for the killing, to back charges that GD constitutes a criminal organization.
Judicial sources have voiced concerns that GD’s strong showing in the September 20 elections, where it garnered 7 percent of the vote capturing third place, will serve as a tonic for the defense.
The trial, which started on April 20, has been dogged by delays, not least because local authorities and residents have lobbied for the landmark trial to be moved to another location.