The Athens criminal appeals court on Wednesday handed down a sentence of 13 years imprisonment for Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and other leadership members of the party, who are accused of forming and directing Golden Dawn as a criminal organisation in the guise of a political party.

They included Christos Pappas, Ilias Kasidiaris, Ioannis Lagos, Giorgos Germenis, Ilias Panagiotaros, 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. 

The presiding judge had earlier read out the sentence for the killer of Pavlos Fyssas, Giorgos Roupakias, handing down the maximum sentences of life imprisonment for the murder and an additional 14 years for his membership of Golden Dawn. 

The heads of the local dawn chapters in Perama and Nikaia, Anastasios Pantazis and Giorgos Patelis, respectively, were sentenced to 10 years and 24 and 2 years, respectively. Ioannis Kazantzoglou was sentenced to 10 years and 2 months. The highest sentence for those accused only of joining a criminal organisation - 7 years - was given to Nikolaos Apostolou, who recruited Roupakias, and Venetia Popori, a police officer acting as Golden Dawn informer, who also got 4 months.

After an initial announcement of the sentences per case (Golden Dawn leadership sentenced to 13 years each; life + 10 years for Roupakias), on Wednesday afternoon the appeals court announced the consolidated sentences per defendant, taking into account both crimes and misdemeanors.

The court must now decide whether these will be suspended pending appeal or whether the accused will be sent straight to prison, in a session on Thursday.

The sentences announced by the judge, which in total exceed 500 years imprisonment, were as follows, updated on Wednesday afternoon:

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

1) 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

2) 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.

3) 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

4) 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).

See also:

Flyers with fascist slogans sent to Golden Dawn prosecutor's office