Image by Getty Images

Greek prosecutors asked parliament to remove from immunity nine additional lawmakers from the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party.

If parliament grants Thursday’s request, all 18 of the party’s lawmakers in the 300-member parliament will face charges, part of Greece’s widespread crackdown on a party that prosecutors describe as a criminal organization.

Among the nine lawmakers who already have lost immunity is party leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos, who has been jailed since October.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Prosecutors also told parliament they intended to file additional charges against the original nine, including for possession of firearms and ammunition.

The crackdown on Golden Dawn followed widespread outrage and protests in Greece in the wake of the Sept. 18 killing of anti-fascist rapper Killah P by a suspected Golden Dawn member.

The request filed by prosecutors described Golden Dawn “a vertically structured organization that operates along military lines and which is inspired by the ideals of national socialism with clear references to [Adolf] Hitler and Nazism,” according to the Kathimerini daily.

Golden Dawn has been accused of being behind dozens of attacks on immigrants in Greece.

The party is known for its Nazi swastika-like flag and Holocaust-denying leadership.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Match my Passover gift!

$90 → $180 $360 → $720

$180 → $360 Other amount