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Ilias Kasidiaris

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Ilias P. Kasidiaris
Kasidiaris in 2016
President of Greeks for the Fatherland
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 June 2020
Member of Hellenic Parliament
In office
6 May 2012 – 11 June 2019
Spokesman for Golden Dawn
Personal details
Born (1980-11-29) 29 November 1980 (age 43)
Piraeus, Greece
Political party
Residence(s)Drafi, Greece
Alma materAgricultural University of Athens
OccupationPolitician
Military service
AllegianceGreece
Branch/serviceHellenic Army

Ilias P. Kasidiaris (Template:Lang-el; born 30 November 1980) is a Greek politician and founder of the political party Greeks for the Fatherland.[1][2][3] He was a member of the Greek parliament,[4] and one of the leaders of the far-right[5] party Golden Dawn. In October 2020, he was convicted of directing a criminal organization and sentenced to 13 years in prison,[6] allegations for which he maintains his innocence.[7]

Early and personal life

Ilias Kasidiaris was born on 29 November 1980 in Piraeus, Greece.[8]

Kasidiaris' father, Panagiotis Kasidiaris, is a retired doctor while his mother is a teacher in philology with a specialization in archaeology. As a child he was attracted to gymnastics, martial arts, writing and history. For many years, he had been taking dance classes, including tango.[citation needed]

During his military service, he served in the 1st Raider/Paratrooper Brigade and more specifically in the 35MK Raider Squadron in Cyprus. He holds a degree in agriculture with a speciality in food chemistry from the Agricultural University of Athens.[citation needed]

Political career

In May 2012, Kasidiaris, on an interview conducted by Nikos Evangelatos on Skai TV, when asked about his opinion of Adolf Hitler, he declined to condemn him and stated that "his role in history will be judged in time", and stated again his stance against immigrants in Greece.[9]

Kasidiaris quoted The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in a 23 October 2012 speech to parliament. Defending himself in a discussion of whether to lift his parliamentary immunity over his assault of Kanelli, he quoted the passage, "In order to destroy the prestige of heroism we shall send them for trial in the category of theft, murder and every kind of abominable and filthy crime."[10] Kasidiaris, as well as two of his Golden Dawn colleagues, had their immunities stripped by a unanimous vote of the parliament.[11]

In mid-2013, while in the parliament, Kasidiaris said that he and other members of parliament were Holocaust deniers.[12]

Οn 17 September 2013, Kasidiaris and a number of other Golden Dawn lawmakers were arrested on 28 September 2013 on charges of belonging to a criminal organisation.[13] The charge sheet included murder, extortion, and involvement in the disappearance of up to 100 migrants.[14] On 2 October 2013, Ilias Kasidiaris was released on a 50,000 euro bail.[15]

On 2 April 2014, Takis Baltakos and Ilias Kasidiaris were recorded on video discussing the incarceration of Golden Dawn lawmakers.[16] Takis Baltakos, Samaras's most trusted adviser and chief of staff was filmed accusing Samaras of instigating a judicial inquiry against the Golden Dawn party for political gain. That week parliament voted to lift the immunity from prosecution of five Golden Dawn deputies.[17] Justice Minister Athanasiou and Citizen Protection Minister Dendias were implicated in the video. Baltakos was forced to resign but then claimed that New Democracy and Golden Dawn has an informal alliance, with parliamentary voting support.[18] The pre-trial detention and house arrest ahead of a trial was the most significant mass round-up of lawmakers since the military coup in 1967.[19]

On 10 July 2014, Kasidiaris was taken into custody in Koridalos prison, on a charge of weapons possession with the intent to supply a criminal organisation.[20] On 1 July 2015, Kasidiaris was released from custody after the council of appeals court judges deemed that "the legal weight" of the offense was not adequate to justify detention. Kasidiaris was required to report regularly to his local police station and under the conditions of his release was not allowed to visit Golden Dawns political offices.[21]

On 15 July 2015, during rancorous debates in the Greek parliament on the passing of various bills required as a precursor to the commencement on negotiations to receive a third bailout of the Greek economy, Kasidiaris tore up papers during an speech.[22]

Kasidiaris was present at an anti-mosque protest in Athens on 4 November 2016. The protest centered around the SYRIZA government's state funded mosque build that used Greek Navy land and state financing for its construction. [citation needed]

On 18 December 2019, the prosecutor suggested that all defendants except Roupakias are found not guilty of murdering Pavlos Fyssas.[23] Among the defendants was Kasidiaris. Additionally, the prosecutor suggested that all defendants are found not guilty of all other felonies.[24] However, on 7 October 2020, the jury verdict found Kasidiaris guilty of directing a criminal organization along with other members of Golden Dawn.[25].

Televised Dourou–Kanelli assault

On 7 June 2012, during a television appearance on ANT1, Kasidiaris, in response to a verbal disagreement, splashed a glass of water at Greek politician Rena Dourou, and then proceeded to slap multiple times Liana Kanelli after she struck him with a piece of paper.[26]

The heated exchange was a fluid discussion focusing on the rights of immigrant workers vs right of the unemployed Greeks and the development of gas reservoirs in northern Crete eventually disintegrating from a heated debate to broken rhetoric from both sides about opinion on the Regime of the Colonels to the persecution of Golden Dawn activists. The discussion broke down when Kanelli referred to Kasidiaris as a fascist «φασίστα», Kasidiaris responded by derogatorily calling her «παλιοκομμούνι», that is, a dirty communist. Dourou intervened and said there was a democratic crisis in Greece and that Golden Dawn would take the country back 500 years, Kasidiaris threw the water at Dourou, and Dorou grinned at the subsequent scuffle as Kanelli hit Kasidiaris with a paper and Kasidiaris pushed her back and slapped her multiple times.[27]

In Greece it was openly debated by the press whether Kasidiaris had been right or wrong and he was widely cheered online.[28] In March 2015 Kasidiaris attended court to face charges of grievous bodily harm. Giorgos Papadakis, a presenter and journalist who witnessed the assault, stated that threats were also made to television crew and other employees.[29]

A Facebook page dedicated to Kasidiaris picked up 6,000 'likes' within 24 hours.[30] Kasidiaris was also awaiting trial for allegedly being the getaway driver[31] for an armed assault on a university professor in Athens in 2007.[32][33] He was found not guilty of all charges relating to the 2007 incident in March 2013, due to a lack of evidence against him.[34][35]

References

  1. ^ iefimerida.gr (21 May 2020). "Ο Ηλίας Κασιδιάρης έφυγε από τη Χρυσή Αυγή και ιδρύει δικό του κόμμα". iefimerida.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. ^ Newsroom (2 May 2020). "Νέο εθνικιστικό κόμμα ιδρύει ο Ηλίας Κασιδιάρης". CNN.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 21 July 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ "Greek court declares fascist Golden Dawn party a criminal organization". 7 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Βιογραφικά Στοιχεία". www.hellenicparliament.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  5. ^ * Gemenis, Kostas; Nezi, Roula (January 2012), The 2011 Political Parties Expert Survey in Greece (PDF), University of Twente, p. 4, Interestingly, the placement of the extreme right Chrysi Avyi does not seem to be influenced by this bias, although this has more do with the lack of variance in the data (32 out of 33 experts placed the party on 10)
  6. ^ Newsroom. "Crime official calls for restricted phone access for ex-Golden Dawn official | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. ^ IEFIMERIDA.GR, NEWSROOM (16 October 2020). "Δίκη Χρυσής Αυγής-Κασιδιάρης: Είμαι αθώος, αλλά με κρίνατε με 20.000 βίαιους διαδηλωτές απέξω". iefimerida.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  8. ^ "ΗΛΙΑΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ". ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ | ELLHNES.net. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Χρυσή Αυγή: "Ο Αδόλφος Χίτλερ είναι ένα πρόσωπο που θα κριθεί εν καιρώ"". Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  10. ^ "'Protocols of the Elders of Zion' read aloud in Greek parliament". Times of Israel. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  11. ^ "Greek Parliament lifts immunity of 3 far-right lawmakers". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 24 October 2012. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  12. ^ "Racist dilemmas". The Economist. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Greek justice hits neo-Nazi 'Golden Dawn'". EurActiv.com. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  14. ^ Channel 4 News (29 September 2013). "Swastikas but no faces please – Golden Dawn in crisis". Retrieved 30 September 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  16. ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  17. ^ Smith, Helena (3 April 2014). "Greek prime minister facing resignation calls after aide's Golden Dawn gaffe". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Samaras' righthand man used SMS to tell Golden Dawn MPs how to vote". Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  19. ^ "From prison, Greece's Golden Dawn runs quiet but vitriolic campaign". Reuters. 23 January 2015.
  20. ^ "Προφυλακιστέος ο Ηλίας Κασιδιάρης". Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  21. ^ "Golden Dawn spokesman Kasidiaris released from custody – Kathimerini". Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  22. ^ Siciliano, Leon (15 July 2015). "Golden Dawn MP furiously tears up papers in Parliament over bailout deal". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  23. ^ Group), Radiotileoptiki S. A. (OPEN Digital (1 January 1980). "Εισαγγελέας - Χρυσή Αυγή: Ενοχος μόνο ο Ρουπακιάς για τη δολοφονία Φύσσα". ΕΘΝΟΣ (in Greek). Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  24. ^ "Η εισαγγελέας που είχε «αθώωσει» τους χρυσαυγίτες". ΤΑ ΝΕΑ (in Greek). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  25. ^ "Greece Golden Dawn: Neo-Nazi leaders guilty of running crime gang". BBC. London. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  26. ^ Greek New Dawn's Ilias Kasidiaris sues women over TV row, BBC News, 11 June 2012
  27. ^ FreeMyBody77 (7 June 2012). "ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ -ΚΑΝΕΛΛΗ ΖΩΝΤΑΝΑ 7/6/2012 ΦΑΠΕΣ ΣΤΟΝ ΑΝΤ1.mp4". Retrieved 25 March 2018 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ Silverwood, Chris Heath,Owen (12 December 2012). "Ilias Kasidiaris Greek TV Scandal". Retrieved 25 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ Kasidiaris on trial for assaulting KKE MP Liana Kanelli, "The Golden Dawn MP is on trial for his violent outburst on live TV in June 2012", www.tovima.gr, Friday, 6 March 2015.
  30. ^ Savaricas, Nathalie (9 June 2012). "Anti-fascist fury in Athens after far-right MP hit rival". The Independent. London.
  31. ^ "Kasidiaris to face trial for TV beating". Enetenglish.gr. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  32. ^ "Αναβλήθηκε για τη Δευτέρα η δίκη του Ηλία Κασιδιάρη".
  33. ^ Howden, Daniel (8 May 2012). "Nikos Michaloliakos: The far-right firebrand who holds Europe's future in his hands". The Independent. London.
  34. ^ "Πρώτο ΘΕΜΑ online : Αθωώθηκε ο Κασιδιάρης και προκαλεί – Πολιτική". Protothema.gr. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  35. ^ "Greece: Golden Dawn's Ilias Kasidiaris acquitted in court". Digitaljournal.com. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
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