The ultra-fascist Golden Dawn party leaders were handed their sentences on Wednesday, ending a historic hearing which took five years to complete.
The Athens criminal appeals court handed 13-year imprisonment sentences for Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and other members of the political party, who are accused of forming and directing the group as a criminal organisation.
Leadering group members Christos Pappas, Ilias Kasidiaris, Ioannis Lagos, Giorgos Germenis, Ilias Panagiotaros were handed 13-year sentences, while Artemis Matthaiopoulos was given a slightly lower sentence of 10 years. Several among them were also given sentences and fines on additional charges.
Presiding judge Maria Lepenioti announced shorter prison sentences of five to seven years for other members and former MPs of the party accused of joining a criminal organisation.
Giorgos Roupakias, the killer of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, was handed a maximum sentences of life imprisonment for the murder, and an additional 14 years for his membership in Golden Dawn.
The heads of the local chapters in Perama and Nikaia, Anastasios Pantazis and Giorgos Patelis were sentenced to 10, 24 and two years respectively; Ioannis Kazantzoglou was sentenced to 10 years and 2 months. Nikolaos Apostolou, who recruited Roupakias, was given a sentence of seven years, whereas Venetia Popori, a prison officer acting as a Golden Dawn informant was handed a four-month sentence.
READ MORE: Court rejects Golden Dawn leniency as far-right EU politician visits Athens to condemn judges
The court has yet to decide whether these sentences will be suspended pending appeal or whether the accused will be sent straight to prison. This will be decided on Thursday.
The sentences announced by the judge, which in total exceed 500 years imprisonment.
Envelopes with fascist slogans
Envelopes containing flyers with fascist slogans were sent to the offices of the prosecutor handling the Golden Dawn case, police sources reported on Wednesday.
The envelopes were first investigated by a bomb squad, who found that they only contained papers.
State security is investigating the case, while the material was sent off for analysis.
Sentences
Leadership of Golden Dawn:
Nikos Michaloliakos (founder, leader) – 13 years and 6 months
Giorgos Germenis – 13 years and 6 months
Ilias Kasidiaris – 13 years and 6 months
Ioannis Lagos – 13 years and 8 months
Artemis Mattheopoulos – 10 years
Ilias Panagiotaros – 13 years
Christos Pappas – 13 years and 3 months
Former MPs, sentenced for membership and participation in criminal organization (no extenuating circumstances admitted):
Konstantinos Barbaroussis – 6 years
Antonis Gregos – 6 years
Panagiotis Iliopoulos – 7 years
Dimitris Koukoutsis – 6 years
Nikos Kouzilos – 7 years
Eleni Zaroulia (wife of Nikos Michaloliakos) – 6 years
Polyvios Zissimopoulos – 6 years
Former MPs, sentenced for membership and participation in criminal organization (court admits extenuating circumstances):
Chrysovalantis Alexopoulos – 5 years
Michalis Arvanitis – 5 years
Efstathios Boukouras – 5 years and 6 months
Nikos Michos – 6 years
For the murder of Pavlos Fyssas:
Giorgos Roupakias – life plus 10 years, plus 14 years for misdemeanours
Ioannis Aggos – 9 years as an accomplice and 2 months for joining a criminal organisation
Anastasios Marios Anadiotis – 7 years
Aristotelis Chrysafitis – 7 years
Giorgos Dimou – 7 years
Ioannis Kazantzoglou – 10 years and 2 months
Elpidoforos Kalaritis – 9 years
Ioannis Komianos – 9 years
Konstantinos Korkovilis – 9 years
Anastasios Mihalaros – 9 years and 2 months
Giorgos Patelis – 10 years and 2 months
Stavros Santorineos – 2 years for illegal gun carrying and 2,000-euro fine, suspended for 3 years
Giorgos Skalkos – 7 years
Giorgos Stabelos – 9 years
Giorgos Tsakanikas – 6 years
Leon Tsalikis – 9 years
Athanasios Tsorvas – 9 years
Nikolaos Tsorvas – 9 years
READ MORE: Greek-Australians celebrate fall of fascism as sun sets on Golden Dawn
Attack on Egyptian fishing boat workers:
Seven years for attempted murder for Dimitris Agriogiannis, Markos Evgenikos, Thomas Marias, Konstantinos Papadopoulos and Anastasios Pantazis (head of Perama chapter), who also got an additional 24 months.
Attack on PAME (converted to a misdemeanour):
Kyriakos Antonakopoulos – 3 years and 6 months, payable by 5 euros per day
Ioannis Kastrinos- 3 years and 6 months, payble as above
Antonis Hatzidakis – 6 years, payable as above
Defendants facing only charges for joining a criminal organisation:
Seven years each for Nikolaos APostolou, Venetia Popori (who also got 4 months). Six years each for Dionyssios Liakopoulos, Thomas Barekas (including another 2 months), Nikolaos Papavassiliou, Vassilis Siatounis, Christos Stergiopoulos, Athanassios Stratos and Giorgos Tsakanikas.
Four others as follows: Aristodimos Daskalakis (Ierapetra chapter head, 5 years), Margarita Mikelatou (2 years, 3-year suspension of sentence), Theodoros Stefas (17 months, 3-year suspension of sentence), Theoni Skarpeli (1 year and 1,000-euro fine, 3-year suspension of sentence), and Anastassios Chilios (2 years, 2,000-euro sentence, payable by 5 euros per day).