The 60 case files of the criminal organisation Golden Dawn

Kasidiaris5

(This is a text first published on 10 July 2014. You can find the greek version here).

As we’ve repeatedly said, prosecuting Golden Dawn is about prosecuting criminal activity. Any interest in the national-socialist (nazi) ideology arising from the investigation only concerns the perpetrators’ motives and does not involve any kind of prosecution of individual beliefs.

When the prosecution started, much was said about the so-called “32 Dendias case files” (the list of 32 Golden Dawn criminal acts, sent by Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias to the Supreme Court). However, this was not a list of “case files” but a haphazard catalogue of 32 incidents. Now, after the full deployment of the investigating magistrates, we have a much clearer view of the gang’s criminal activity.

The list of 60 case files, published on 10 July 2013 by the Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper by no means details all of Golden Dawn’s criminal activities. Nonetheless, they clearly depict how strong the case is against this particular criminal organisation. The murder of Pavlos Fyssas, the attack on trade union (PAME) members and the attempted murder of Egyptian fishermen are only the tip of the iceberg of Golden Dawn’s extensive criminal activity. These 60 case files are merely a small part of the countless complaints made against Golden Dawn.

Of course, there are those who, perhaps benevolently, wonder: “Fyssas’ murderers and the criminals who assaulted union officials and immigrants deserve to be imprisoned. But should the leading members of the organisation be held responsible of aiding and abetting these criminal activities?” However, as this list of 60 cases makes clear, such is the extent of the criminal activity undertaken by Golden Dawn’s leaders and members that only acknowledging the existence of a criminal organisation could explain it.

The gang’s representatives keep showing up on TV and the internet asking for “tangible evidence”. The documents below contain only a fraction of what is detailed in the case files. We are now beyond the point of requiring evidence on whether Golden Dawn is a criminal organisation. It is now a matter of statistics.

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30 June 2008: Attack on the social centre “Antipnoia”. Charge: Attempted murder. Defendants: Vasilios Siatounis, Athanasios Stratos. Progress of the case: Both defendants are members of Golden Dawn. The trial is scheduled for 19 September 2014 in Athens.

18 April 2010: Clashes at a Golden Dawn demonstration in the city of Larissa. Charges: Insurgency, aggravated insurgency, carrying weapons. Defendants: Yiorgos Sarris, Ilias Panagiotaros, Asterios Chamos, Nikolaos Rigas, Dimitrios Koltsidas. Progress of the case: Golden Dawn members, directed by the defendants, used pit bulls against police. Last postponement of the trial: 12 June 2013 due to the parliamentary immunity of Ilias Panagiotaros MP.

3 July 2010: An immigrant from Bangladesh was robbed in Klafthmonos Square, Athens. Charges: robbery, non-accidental injuries etc. Defendants: Ilias Panagiotaros, unknown perpetrators. Progress of the case: In 2010, the Bangladeshi citizen provided police with the number of the licence plate of the car (Smart) driven by the suspects. The identification of the car, which belongs to Ilias Panagiotaros, was made only after he was elected MP. The case is pending.

4 October 2010: Serbian citizen is assaulted with clubs in Thessaloniki. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, etc. Defendants: Nikolaos Rigas, Rafail Xypolitos, Athanasios Petrou. Progress of the case: Nikos Rigas is a member of the Central Committee of Golden Dawn, was a municipal candidate in Athens in the 2010 elections and parliamentary candidate in Halkidiki in 2012.

22 October 2010: Assault on former MP Alekos Alavanos in Agios Panteleimonas, Athens. Charges: Slander, making threats, non-accidental injuries, etc. Defendants: Themis Skordeli, Aliki Papadaki, Andreas-Iason Sofias, Georgios Dimou, Spyridon Giannatos. Progress of the case: Case filed. Skordeli, Papadaki, Giannatos etc are members of Golden Dawn. Skordeli was also a municipal council candidate for the party.

10 May 2011: A parliamentary candidate of Golden dawn arrested in Victoria Square, Athens. Charges: Criminal damage, disturbing the peace, etc. Defendants: Ilias Koliopoulos. Progress of the case: The suspect was sentenced to 12 months for the criminal damage of a shop belonging to an Afghan in Victoria Sq. Koliopoulos is a member and former Golden Dawn parliamentary candidate.

12 May 2011: Golden Dawn members instigate a pogrom after the murder of Manolis Kantaris in central Athens. Charges: Homicide, attempted murder, non-accidental injuries, formation of a criminal organization. Defendants: Unknown perpetrators. Progress of the case: The lawyers Thanasis Kampagiannis, Takis Zotos and Kostas Skarmeas presented an account to the Supreme Court.

16 September 2011: Assault on refugees from Afghanistan in Agios Panteleimonas, Athens. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, etc. Defendants: Themis Skordeli, Ioannis Loukianos, Georgios Markoulakis. Progress of the case: Adjourned indefinitely on 18 June 2014.

28 October 2011: Assault on two women from Albania in Metaxourgio, Athens. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, carrying weapons, etc. Defendants: Nikolaos Vossos, Adrianna Bitza, Panagiotis Bademis, Alexander Steven-James, Georgios Fournaros. Progress of the case: Vossos, Bitza and Fournaros were found guilty on the charge of non-accidental injury (the assault was considered to have racist motives). The cases of Bademis (who was head of Golden Dawn’s branch in Drama is now a member of the Ethniko Metopo (National Front)) and Alexander Steven James are scheduled for trial on 17 October 2014.

4 January 2012: Pogrom and arson attack on Roma in the town of Etoliko, western Greece. Charges: Disturbance of the peace, arson, damage to property, attempted murder, etc. Defendants: Eleftherios Giafis, Dimitrios Bereris, Nikolaos Kranis, Sotirios Karvelis, Georgios Valamontis, Dimitrios Botas, Ioannis Karadimas, Dimitrios Barchabas, Panagiotis Stamoulis. Progress of the case: Giafis, Bereris and Karadimas are proven members of Golden Dawn and in 2014 were municipal candidates for the party in Mesolonghi, where Golden Dawn’s candidate for mayor was policeman Dimitris Makris. Makris and Karadimas (as well as the brother of Valamontis) are accused of involvement in the attack on stallholders at the street market in Mesolonghi on 8 September 2012 along with Golden Dawn MP Kostas Barbarousis.

22 May 2012: Assault on policemen in the area around the old Piraiki-Patraiki factory in Patras, western Peloponnese. Charges: Arson, non-accidental injuries, discrete damages, disturbance of the peace, carrying weapons, etc. Defendants: Theofanis Roulias, Pavlos Michalopoulos, Vasilios Xydias, Stefanos Kroustallis, Panagiotis Kastriotis. Progress of the case: Case filed. The incident was part of the organized actions of Golden Dawn members in area following the murder of a 30-year-old Greek national.

9 June 2012: Assault on antifascists in a café in the nothern city of Veria by 20 members of Golden Dawn wearing helmets and holding clubs. Charges: Damages, slander, non-accidental injuries, etc. Defendants: Ioannis Toliopoulos, etc. Progress of the case: Toliopoulos, a European Parliament candidate for Golden Dawn, was sentenced to four months for causing severe injuries.

12 June 2012: Assault by members of Golden Dawn on an election booth of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in Agia Paraskevi, Athens, in which a KKE municipal councillor, Yiorgos Tsimpoukakis, was injured. Charges: Non-accidental injuries. Defendants: Vangelis Stefanakis. Progress of the case: Stefanakis, a bouncer and member of Golden Dawn according to his father, became well-known to the public after he murdered his girlfriend, Fai Blacha, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

12 June 2012: Assault on Egyptian fishermen in Perama, near Athens, by Golden Dawn members. Charges: Attempted murder. Defendants: Anastasios Pantazis, Markos Evgenikos, Dimitris Agriogiannis, Konstantinos Papadopoulos, Thomas Marias, Eleni-Christina Nikitopoulou. Progress of the case: Pantazis is the leader of the Golden Dawn branch in Perama. The planned assault was announced by Golden Dawn MP Yiannis Lagos in a speech in Perama the previous day.

17 June 2012: Assault on the lawyer and municipal councillor Ioannis Kardaras at Syriza’s election kiosk in Piraeus by Golden Dawn members. Charges: Non-accidental injuries. Defendants: Unknown perpetrators. Progress of the case: Case filed.

24 June 2012: A Tunisian immigrant, Abudee Beldi, was beaten in Patras. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, carrying weapons, etc. Defendants: Dionysios Mouzos, unknown perpetrators. According to the police, Mouzos is a member of Golden Dawn.

22 August 2012: A Cypriot was robbed and suffered severe injuries in an incident on Syntagma Square. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, etc. Defendants: Unknown perpetrators. Progress of the case: Case filed. A group of Golden Dawn members attacked the Cypriot believing he was an immigrant after he didn’t answer their question “Where are you from?”

8 September 2012: Golden Dawn Attack on stallholders at the street market in Misolonghi, western Greece. Charges: Usurping authority, damage to property, violence, etc. Defendants: Konstantinos Barbarousis MP, Dimitris Makris (policeman), Dimitrios Bereris, Konstantinos Makoulis, Ioannis Valamontis, Pavlos Staramopoulos, Ioannis Karadimas, Spyridon Floroskoufis, Evangelos Karagiannis, Leonidas Stathopoulos, Robert Haidi/Roberto Chaidi. Progress of the case: Makris was a member of the assigned security detail for Barbarousis. He is municipal councillor in Misolonghi.

10 and 22 September 2012: Arson on a hairdresser’s shop in Metamorfosis, Athens (10 September) and the attempted murder of immigrants from Pakistan in Lykovrisi, Neo Iraklio and Metamorfosi (22 September).Charges: Attempted murder, arson, explosion, etc. Defendants: Konstantinos Kontomous. Progress of the case: Kontomous was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment.

11 September 2012: Usurping authority by members of Golden Dawn in a street market in Misolonghi. Charges: Usurping authority, etc. Defendants: Spyridon Floroskoufis, Vasilios Chatzis, Evangelos Karagiannis, Jani Seleni. Progress of the case: Floroskoufis and Chatzis were found guilty (court decision 1465/2012). The former is a member of Golden Dawn and he has been involved in assaults on young antifascists in the city of Agrinio.

15 September 2012: Assault on members of the Piraeus Antinazi Initiative. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, slander, making threats. Defendants: Nikolaos Apostolou, Nektarios Saloufas. Progress of the case: The trial is scheduled to be held in 20 October 2014. Apostolou, a member of Golden Dawn, is accused of participating in a criminal organization.

20 September 2014: Arson on the house of the chairman of the Roma community in Etoliko, western Greece. Charges: Arson, damage of property, etc. Defendants: Ioannis Karadimas. Progress of the case: Karadimas is a member of Golden Dawn.

5 October 2012: Assault on three Pakistani workers in Lavrio, Attica, by a group of men who were wearing black Golden Dawn T-shirts. Charges: Non-accidental injuries. Defendants: Efstathios Konstantopoulos, Ioannis Georgakakis, Ioannis Zambakas. Progress of the case: The suspects are members of the Golden Dawn branch in Anavissos, Attica.

7 November 2012: Assault on members of Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) in Lagada, Thessaloniki. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, carrying weapons, etc. Defendants: Triantafyllos Diktapantidis, Ioannis Panagiotidis. Progress of the case: Both suspects are members of the Golden Dawn branch in Lagada.

15 November 2012: Assault on a woman from Albania in Nea Redestos, Thessaloniki. Charges: Violence, making threats, slander, etc. Defendants: Panagiotis Sekertzis, Agathi Tambaki. Progress of the case: Case filed. Sekertzis is a parliamentary advisor of Golden Dawn MP Antonis Gregos.

15 November 2012: Attempted arson on a mosque in the city of Volos by three Golden Dawn supporters. Charges: Carrying explosives, etc. Defendants: Zinon Manthogianis, Konstantinos Dodolias, Marios Kalisopoulos. Progress of the case: The three accused were found by policemen near the mosque carrying petrol bombs. They met each other in Golden Dawn’s offices and had Golden Dawn leaflets in their possession.

25 November 2012: A policeman was threatened and insulted by Golden Dawn MP Ilias Kasidiaris, in Hersonisos, Crete. Charges: Making threats, slander. Defendant: Ilias Kasidiaris. Progress of the case: Case filed.

8 December 2012: Assault on a young Greek national by three Golden Dawn members in Komotini, northeastern Greece. The incident happened during the opening of their new offices. Defendants: Unknown perpetrators. Progress of the case: Case filed.

17 January 2013: Murder of Shehzad Luqman in Petralona, Athens. Charges: Intentional homicide with complicity. Defendants: Dionysis Liakopoulos, Christos Stergiopoulos. Progress of the case: The defendants were found guilty and sentenced to life without mitigating. The court said there were no mitigating circumstances. Searches of their homes revealed knives, clubs and Golden Dawn leaflets.

28 January 2013: Attempted murder of a 16-year-old student in Paleo Faliro, Athens. Charges: Attempted murder. Defendants: Georgios Apostolopoulos, Alexandros Chatzipavlidis. Progress of the case: Apostolopoulos was found guilty of attempted murder and is accused of participating in a criminal organization.

28 March 2013: Attack with petrol bombs on a bank in the city of Volos. Charges: Damage to property, carrying explosives, etc. Defendants: Orfeas Andreou, Christos Kioumourtzoglou, Aristis-David Papagianopoulos, Agni Athanasaraki. Progress of the case: Police searches on their homes revealed the typical weaponry of Golden Dawn members (Flobert guns, brass knuckles, baseball bats, etc.) other material stuff and accessories relating to the organization, Hitler photos, swastikas, etc.

13 May 2013: Arson on a shop of a Cameroonian national in Amerikis Square, Athens. Charges: Intentional arson, common danger, making threats, etc. Defendants: Georgios Perris, Nikolaos Papavasiliou, Antonios Boletis, Theodoros Kalantzis, Evangelos Oksouzoglou. Progress of the case: Perris and Papavasiliou have been found guilty, with the aggravating circumstance that the crime was racially motivated. Papavasiliou was a member of the Golden Dawn branch in Nikea, Piraeus. Along with Boletis, the two aforementioned are accused of being members of the Golden Dawn criminal organization.

15 May 2013: Assault on and robbery of a Nigerian national by two Golden Dawn members in Agios Panteleimonas, Athens. Charges: Robbery, non-accidental injuries, etc. Defendants: Alexandros Vasilakis, Angelos-Efthymios Georgopoulos. Progress of the case: The two suspects had in their possession party material, swastikas, Hitler photographs, etc.

17 May 2013: A Greek flag with a meander, Golden Dawn’s symbol, in the middle was raised at the central offices of Golden Dawn. Charge: Insulting national symbols. Defendant: Golden Dawn’s legal representative. Progress of the case: Criminal investigation under way.

3 July 2013: Assault on a 18-year-old Greek man in Patras by three Golden Dawn members. Charges: Non-accidental injuries. Defendants: Unknown perpetrators. Progress of the case: Case filed.

5 July 2013: Assault by a group of Golden Dawn members against an antifascist concert in Kalithea. Charge: Explosion, carrying explosives, non-accidental injuries, etc. Perpetrators: unknown. Progress of the case: The participation of people with Golden Dawn insignia is documented by policemen depositions.

10 July 2013: Assault on the social space “Synergio” in Ilioupoli by a Golden Dwn battaliion squad led by its MP Ioannis Lagos. Charge: non-accidental injuries, carrying guns, criminal organisation. Defendants: Agiovlassitis Dionysios. Galanakis Christos, Mparekas Thomas, Stampelos Georgios. Progrees of the case: Lagos’ mobile phone and evidence obtained by Golden Dawn members personal computers prove the central planning of the attack by the criminal organisation.

7 August 2013: Assault on 18 years old man from Patras by 3 men wwaring the Golden Dawn insignia. Charge: non-accidental injuries, etc. Perpatrators: unknown. Case filed.

23 August 2013: The Golden Dawn branch on the island Rhodes conducted military drills under the guidance of Savvas Spyridis, a policeman. Charges: Participation in criminal organization. Defendant: Savvas Spyridis. Progress of the case: Spyridis, initially, claimed that he had no connection with Golden Dawn activity. He was subsequencly elected a member of the prefectural council for Golden Dawn. His name features in the list of ten policemen that, according to the findings of a police investigation, are believed to be connected with the Golden Dawn criminal organization.

29 August 2013: Golden Dawn MP Dimitris Koukoutsis was found in the possession of the gun issued to the policeman assigned to his security detail, Dimitris Lountzis. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendants: Dimitris Koukoutsis MP, Dimitris Lountzis. Progress of the case: Criminal investigation is carrying out.

7 September 2013: Assault on and threats made to Jalili Abdul Sabur, an Afghan national, by Golden Dawn members, near Omonia Square, Athens. Charges: Non-accidental injuries, making threats, etc. Defendant: Georgia Dimopoulou. Progress of the case: Case filed. Dimopoulou is a member of and former municipal election candidate for Golden Dawn.

12 September 2013: Assault on trade unionists and members of the PAME trade union and the Communist Party of Greece in Perama, near Athens. Charges: Attempted murder. Defendants: Anastasios Pantazis, Christos Hatzidakis, Kyriakos Antonakopoulos, Ioannis Kastrinos etc. Progress of the case: Pantazis was the leader of the Golden Dawn branch in Perama. The assault was planned by Golden Dawn in order to form a pro-employers’ union inside the shipbuilding yard.

17 September 2013: Murder of Pavlos Fyssas in Keratsini, Piraeus. Charges: Intentional murder. Defendants: Georgios Roupakias, Ioannis Kazantzoglou, etc. Progress of the case: Fyssas’ murder was organized by the local Golden Dawn branch in Nikea. The perpetrators were the leaders of that branch.

20 September 2013: Golden Dawn members were arrested in Thessaloniki for carrying weapons. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendants: Ioannis Kritidis, Solomon Xenitopoulos, Ioannis Tzamalidis, Efstathios Valakos, Eleftherios Golois. Progress of the case: The suspects were arrested while they were carrying out an armed patrol 50m from the local offices of Golden Dawn.

24 September 2013: A large amount of guns was found in the possession of a Golden Dawn member in Rethymno, Crete. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendant: Konstantinos Kamaritis. Progress of the case: Kamaritis is a well-known member of Golden Dawn.

28 September 2013: Unlicensed guns were found in the possession of the policeman who was assigned to the security detail of Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendant: Anastasios Chronis. Progress of the case: Case filed.

28 September 2013: Unlicensed guns were found in the possession of the policeman who was assigned to the security detail of Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendant: Georgios Laliotis. Progress of the case: His name is among the 10 policemen that according to the corollary of the Greek Police are believed to be connected with the criminal organization of Golden Dawn.

28 September 2013: Unlicensed guns were found in the possession of the policeman who was assigned to the guard of Golden Dawn‘s MP Mr. Iliopoulos. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendant: Spyridon Kontogiannis. Progress of the case: His name is among the 10 policemen that according to the corollary of the Greek Police are believed to be connected with the criminal organization of Golden Dawn.

29 September 2013: Unlicensed guns were found in the possession of the policeman who was assigned to the guard of Golden Dawn‘s leader Mr. Michaloliakos. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendant: Apostolos Galanis. Progress of the case: His name features in the list of ten policemen that, according to the findings of a police investigation, are believed to be connected with the Golden Dawn criminal organization.

30 September 2013: Unlicensed guns were found in the possession of a policeman in Thessaloniki. Charges: Carrying weapons. Defendant: Sokratis Marioglou. Progress of the case: His name features in the list of ten policemen that, according to the findings of a police investigation, are believed to be connected with the Golden Dawn criminal organization.

30 September 2013: Unlicensed guns and counterfeit items were found in the possession of the policeman who was assigned to the security detail of Golden Dawn MP Giorgos Germenis. Charges: Carrying weapons, forgery, etc. Defendant: Vasilios Poulelis. Progress of the case: Poulelis is accused of participating in illegal activities with other members of Golden Dawn (the assault on stallholders at a religious festival at Rafina on 7 September 2011, assaulting immigrants, etc).

30 September 2013: Arrest of Athanasios Skaras, policeman, former head of the security or detective unit at Agios Panteleimanas police station in central Athens. Charges: Carrying weapons, income from the proceeds of crime, etc. Defendants: Athanasios Skaras, Lefkothea Kyrnatzopoulos, Ioannis Stathopoulos, Themis Skordeli. Progress of the case: Skaras is believed to have cooperated with Themis Skordeli and gang members belonging to Golden Dawn in blackmailing shopkeepers in order to provide them with security services, robbing immigrants, possessing counterfeit items, etc. His name features in the list of ten policemen that, according to the findings of a police investigation, are believed to be connected with the Golden Dawn criminal organization.

2 October 2013: A search of the homes of Golden Dawn members in Patras revealed a significant amount of guns. Charges: Carrying weapons, etc. Defendants: Georgios Kaspiris, Stefanos Tsongidis-Tsonakidis, Andreas Nakos, Konstantinos Faltsetas. Progress of the case: Case filed.

4 October 2013: Counterfeit items found in the possession of Themis Skordeli in central Athens. Charges: Forgery, infringement of customs regulations, etc. Defendant: Themis Skordeli. Skordelis, a suspect in another criminal case, had in her possession a large amount of counterfeit CDs, bags, etc.

5 December 2013: Possession of guns and ammunition for the supply of a criminal organization. Charges: Carrying weapons, formation of a criminal organization, etc. Defendant: Stathis Boukouras, elected MP with Golden Dawn in 2012. Progress of the case: Boukouras has been charged with an additional offence regarding the case against the Golden Dawn criminal organization.

5 December 2013: Possession of guns and ammunition for the supply of a criminal organization. Charges: Carrying weapons, formation of a criminal organization, etc. Defendant: Golden Dawn MP Giorgos Germenis. Progress of the case: Germenis has been charged with an additional offences regarding the case against the Golden Dawn criminal organization.

15 December 2013: Konstantinos Halastras, policeman, was found in the possession of a forged ID, bearing the name Alexandros Kasidiaris (the brother of Golden Dawn MP Ilias Kasidiaris). Charges: Forgery, etc. Defendant: Konstantinos Halastras. Progress of the case: Halastras was assigned to security detail of Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos. Evidence found in a search of Halastras’ home showed he participated in illegal activities carried out by Golden Dawn.

7 January 2014: A Golden Dawn member blocked a car on a public road and attempted to control the nationality of a driver. Accusation: Violence. Defendant: Nektarios-Georgios Houstis. Progress of the case: Houstis was wearing a Golden Dawn T-shirt and Golden Dawn material was found in his possession. While he pleaded guilty to the charge, he claimed he was under the influence of alcohol.

25 January 2014: Attack on the “Resalto” social center in Keratsini, Piraeus. Charges: Damaging property, forming and joining a criminal organization, etc. Defendants: Golden Dawn MP Nikos Kouzilos, unknown perpetrators. Progress of the case: The video footage shows that Kouzilos participated in the attack, hence he was remanded in custody.

(If you want to help the Civil Action of the antifascist movement in prosecuting Golden Dawn, have a look here).

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