Parliament has voted to allow the prosecution of Golden Dawn spokesman and MP Ilias Kasidiaris for assaulting two female politicians during a live TV talk show.
Ilias Kasidiaris faces charges of attempted grievous bodily harm over last June’s incident, in which he repeatedly slapped Communist Party MP Liana Kanelli on an ANT1 television morning debate between the elections, although Kanelli opted not to press charges.
Kasidiaris also threw a glass of water at Rena Dourou after becoming incensed that the Syriza MP mentioned his impending court case for allegedly assisting in the assault of an Athens Polytechnic student in 2007.
Kanelli rose to challenge the 32-year-old whereupon he struck her repeatedly and ran away.
State prosecutor Eleni Raikou issued a warrant for his arrest but it expired 48 hours later, whereupon Kasidiaris resurfaced.
Kasidiaris was elected as a candidate for the Attica constituency, where Golden Dawn polled third with 32,136 votes and 9.96% in the June elections.
The party improved on its May election performance, where they received 31,949 votes and 9.7% of the vote.
MPs on Wednesday voted 205-3 Wednesday to strip Kassidiaris of the immunity from prosecution enjoyed by all parliamentarians.
No trial date has been set.
On March 7 Kasidiaris was acquitted of charges relating to the 2007 incident because there was “insufficient evidence” linking him to the student beating and stabbing.
It had been alleged that he had assisted five unidentified assailants by providing them with a getaway car.
Source: EnetEnglish, AP