The Athens Court of Appeal for Serious Crimes has confirmed the first-instance verdict, finding 42 defendants guilty in the case against Golden Dawn. According to the unanimous decision, the court assessed that the organization operated with an organized structure, hierarchy and coordinated criminal activity, and not simply as a political party.
The following were found guilty of leading a criminal organization:
Nikos Michaloliakos
Ilias Kasidiaris
Ioannis Lagos
Christos Pappas
Ilias Panagiotaros
Giorgos Germenis
Artemis Matthaiopoulos
The court also found a number of other former MPs guilty of participating in a criminal organization, while several defendants were convicted of intentional homicide and other criminal offenses related to the group's activity.
Today's decision seals in the second instance the historic conclusion of 2020 that "Golden Dawn" operated as a criminal enterprise disguised as a political party. The case is also related to the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013, an event that led to the judicial crackdown on the organization. The process is not completely closed: the court is expected to examine mitigating circumstances and final sentencing issues, which could change the length of imprisonment for some convicts.
