The Athens’ Jewish cemetery was desecrated with anti-Semitic graffiti ahead of an important court case to hand down the verdict of the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn party.
“Juden Raus”, meaning “Jews Out” in German, was painted in black on the walls of the cemetery in Nikaia, along with a symbol similar to the Golden Dawn swastika.
The vantalism came ahead of the verdict in a landmark murder trial to be handed by an Athens court ion Wednesday. The trial involves Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and other party members over the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013. The rapper was ambushed by presumed Golden Dawn supporters outside a cafe, opening the way into an unprecedented investigation into the party’s activities.
Mr Michaloliakos is one of nearly 70 defendants who each face between five to 20 years in prison over the 2013 killing and other alleged crimes by Golden Dawn members.
The main charge against them is participation in a criminal organization, but there have also been a host of other indictments related to murder and assault.
A Holocaust denier and supporter of Greece’s former dictator Georgios Papadopoulos, Mr Michaloliakos has consistently maintained his innocence.
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The Israeli embassy in Greece condemned the vandalism. In three separate tweets, the embassy wrote: “The heinous anti-Semitic graffiti found today on the walls of the Athens Jewish Cemetery during Jewish High Holidays is yet another reminder of the existence of evil. Together with many other proud Greek voices we stand against hate, racism and extremism based on ignorance and prejudice. We are certain of a prompt Greek authorities’ reaction and have full confidence such acts will not be tolerated. Hate will not deter us.”
Earlier on Monday, government spokesman Stelios Petsas, Education Minister Niki Kerameus and Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias all condemned the act.
The hate crime was also condemned by the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece, which stated that “Nazism has no place in our democracy, mainly because it promotes its destruction along with the prevalence of the total violation of human rights. We express the certainty that the Greek State will take all necessary measures so that the perpetrators will be arrested and face justice. We will not be intimidated. Zero tolerance for Nazism.”
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Meanwhile, Greek Police on Monday said that investigations are underway to locate and arrest the perpetrators who wrote Nazi slogans on the outer wall of the Jewish cemetery in the Athens southern suburb of Nikaia, late on Sunday night.