Greece: 3 far-right lawmakers released, 1 jailed, raids on police homes continue
y Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, October 2, 4:49 PM
ATHENS, Greece — Three lawmakers from Greece’s extremist right-wing Golden Dawn party were released from custody Wednesday pending trial, after they provided initial testimony in a criminal investigation into the party triggered by the slaying of a left-wing rapper.
The government, which has vowed to eradicate Golden Dawn, insisted the case against the Nazi-inspired party was still on track.
Golden Dawn, which the government has described as a “Nazi creation,” rose from the margins of Greece’s political scene to become the third most popular party in Greece amid the country’s severe financial crisis. It has long been blamed for a series of violent attacks, mostly against immigrants.
Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris was released on 50,000-euro ($67,770) bail by an Athens court. No bail was set for the other two lawmakers, Ilias Panagiotaros and Nikos Michos. All three were banned from leaving the country.
They stormed out of the court building, with Kasidiaris punching a television cameraman and kicking a photographer as he went. They swore at journalists as they headed out of the court complex, and later as they left police headquarters after collecting their personal belongings.
A fourth lawmaker, Ioannis Lagos, was jailed pending trial.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greece-3-far-right-lawmakers-released-1-jailed-raids-on-police-homes-continue/2013/10/02/81e23f20-2b3b-11e3-b141-298f46539716_story.html
