Artemis Matthaiopoulos

Two former lawmakers of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn denied on Thursday that they or the party had any links to Nazism or hate speech.
The two men, Artemis Matthaiopoulos and Dimitris Koukoutsis, testified in the ongoing trial of Golden Dawn's party leaders, who are accused of running a criminal organization.

As the latest United Nations-mediated effort to resolve a dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) gets under way, MPs and supporters of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party have stepped up their protests, interrupting a session of Thessaloniki's municipal authority on Tuesday night.

The long-awaited trial of the leadership and MPs of the neofascist Golden Dawn and dozens of party supporters began on Monday in a special courtroom at Korydallos Prison, western Athens, but GD?s leaders were conspicuous by their absence, and the proceedings were adjourned until May 7.

Golden Dawn MP Artemis Matthaiopoulos and another suspect were cleared on Friday of mugging a man at the Ancient Agora in Athens 10 years ago after two firefighters who witnessed the incident failed to appear as witnesses in court.

The Greek Parliament has voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Golden Dawn MP Artemis Matthaiopoulos to face charges of robbery.

During a vote Wednesday, 198 of the 203 deputies present backed the decision. Four MPs voted against and one present.

Matthaiopoulos denied the charges which he said are politically-motivated.

A council of appeals court judges ruled Friday that Golden Dawn MP Artemis Matthaiopoulos be granted conditional release pending trial on charges of setting up and belonging to a criminal organization.

Matthaiopoulos, who has been in custody since June, was released on 50,000 euros’ bail and banned from leaving the country.

Artemis Matthaiopoulos on Monday became the eighth Golden Dawn MP to be remanded in custody pending trial on criminal charges as magistrates leading a probe into the neofascist party prepare to summon another five legislators, including party leader Nikos Michaloliakos (photo), for additional testimony.

Golden Dawn MP Artemis Matthaiopoulos was remanded in custody on Monday after providing a written deposition to judges.

The judges investigating the far right party, in agreement with the prosecutor, felt that the lawmaker was liable to engage in criminal activity if he was not detained.

Golden Dawn lawmaker Artemis Matthaiopoulos provided a written deposition on Monday as he appeared before the judges investigating the far right party.

According to reports, the MP refused to answer judges’ questions and insisted that Golden Dawn is not a criminal organization.

Two Golden Dawn MPs were conditionally released on Friday after facing special magistrates investigating criminal charges against the neo-Nazi party.

Polyvios Zisimopoulos and Antonis Gregos (photo), who both denied the charges, were each ordered to pay 20,000 euros in bail and were banned from leaving the country.