Ilias Kasidiaris, former leader of Alba Dorata, has been released and announces his return to politics

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

Kasidiaris, 45, served approximately six years of his 13-year prison sentence, which was reduced by taking into account the days of work completed while in detention. He and other former leaders of Alba Dorata were convicted of belonging to and leading a criminal organisation.

The party was dissolved after the Greek judiciary declared it a criminal organisation in 2020. Members of the organisation were convicted, among other charges, of assaulting Egyptian fishermen and murdering antifascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

Kasidiaris continued his political activity 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.