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Golden Dawn acknowledges "political responsibility" but no "criminal liability" for anti-racist rapper murder

Xinhua, September 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Golden Dawn party chief Nikos Michaloliakos accepted "political responsibility" but not "criminal liability" for the murder of an antifascist musician in 2013, in a radio interview on Thursday.

On the eve of the second anniversary of the death of rapper Pavlos Fyssas that triggered the judicial crackdown on the ultra-Right party and three days before the crucial elections in Greece on September 20, the GD chief accepted the political responsibility, but claimed that there is no criminal liability.

"Is it possible that an entire party is being accused because one of its supporters committed a condemnable act?" he asked during the interview with local Real FM radio station.

All other political parties condemned Golden Dawn's "appalling cynicism" and called on the Greek people to isolate the party in the forthcoming elections.

Rapper Pavlos Fyssas was stabbed to death by ultra-right supporter Yorgos Roupakias at the district of Keratsini after an argument over a soccer match outside a cafeteria which ended in a scuffle over politics on 18 September 2013.

Fyssas' killing led to a total of 78 suspects, including Michaloliakos and his party deputy Christos Pappas, being charged of establishing and running a criminal gang.

Their trial, one of the biggest conducted in Greece in recent years, began on May, but has been adjourned until September 29.

For the anniversary, an anti-racist festival and rally have been organized with main demand to proceed with the trial and sentence to life his murderers.

Despite the crackdown, the far-Right Golden Dawn party still holds its ground. According to pollsters, GD will remain the third largest party in the new assembly polling between 5.5 percent and 7 percent of votes.

GD entered the Greek parliament for first time in the 2012 general elections. In the last national vote in January, they gained 6.9 percent, despite most of Golden Dawn's leaders being behind bars. Endit