Ilias Kasidiaris, former leader of Golden Dawn, has been released and announces his return to politics

Ilias Kasidiaris, a former lawmaker and spokesperson for the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, was released from prison on Tuesday and announced that he intends to return to politics. Upon leaving the high-security prison in Domokos, he said he would join a “new strong nationalist party,” while dozens of supporters waited for him with Greek flags.

Kasidiaris, 45, served approximately six years of his 13-year prison sentence, with the term reduced by crediting days worked while in detention. He and other former Golden Dawn leaders were convicted of belonging to and leading a criminal organization.

The party was disbanded after the Greek judiciary declared it a criminal organization in 2020. Members of the group were convicted, among other offenses, of assaulting Egyptian fishermen and murdering anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

Kasidiaris continued his political activities from prison, particularly on YouTube, where he has 162,000 subscribers. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Justice Minister warned that he remains a convicted criminal and that the authorities will defend democracy. The former leader attempted to participate in the 2023 elections, but his party was banned.