The leader of Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn party and most of its parliament members will go on trial soon on charges of taking part in a criminal organization, Reuters reports citing court officials.
In its final report, the (judicial) council decided that 72 defendants, including Golden Dawn’s leader and its former parliamentary group, will stand trial for “leading and participating in a criminal organization," said one of the court officials, asking not to be identified, as reported by Reuters.
Legal prosecution of the party began after one of its supporters stabbed an anti-racist rapper in 2013, sparking mass protests.
A date for the trial has not been set yet but it will take place soon, according to the officials.
If the defendants are found guilty, they could be sentenced up to 20 years in jail.
The party denies the allegations and says the case is politically biased.
Golden Dawn leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos, the party’s former spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris and five other lawmakers are in pre-trial detention. Three more lawmakers were put under house arrest.
The Golden Dawn arrests were the most significant roundup of lawmakers since the military coup in 1967.
