Sawt Falasteen - Prominent Greek neo-Nazi exits prison, vows return to politics

Kasidiaris, 45, had been handed a 13-year sentence as a leading member of the violent outfit that for years carried out beatings of migrants and political opponents, and the 2013 murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

Raising his fist and holding a folded Greek flag, Kasidiaris said he was returning to a "new, strong national party, such as those dominating all of Europe".

"Today I am back. And from what I see, I am not alone," he said outside Domokos prison in central Greece.

Dozens of cheering supporters, several holding Greek flags, were waiting for him.

"Ilias, we are with you," many chanted.

His release comes during a rise of the far right in several European countries, including Germany, where the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party recently won a regional election, a first since World War II.

Formerly a Golden Dawn MP from 2012 to 2019, Kasidiaris was jailed for six years and worked off the rest of his sentence while behind bars.

He had previously spent a year in pre-trial detention in 2014 before his incarceration in 2020.

Even during his incarceration, the former food chemist never ceased his political activity on social media, particularly on his YouTube channel, which has 162,000 subscribers.

In July he drew the attention of Musk, whom he has praised as "the most eminent personality in the world."

The multibillionaire, who backs far-right groups in Europe including AfD in Germany, noted on X on July 17 that Kasidiaris's continued incarceration was "messed up."

Before his imprisonment in October 2020, the former Golden Dawn spokesman had launched a new political party, the Hellenes, and tried from his cell to run as a candidate in the 2023 legislative elections.

But the Greek Supreme Court banned his party from the ballot.

- History of violence -

A former drill instructor of Golden Dawn members, Kasidiaris has been pictured with a swastika tattoo on his left arm and is known for fits of violence.

During a television talk show in 2012, he slapped a communist MP and threw a glass of water in the face of a left-wing party lawmaker.

He has also spat at and struck camera crews.

In a discussion with party supporters in November 2012, he noted that election to parliament enabled Golden Dawn members to "(carry) weapons legally with a permit."

"There's no immediate arrest if an incident occurs, so we can move around a bit more freely," he had said.

Legal experts have noted however that Kasidiaris is still barred from running for office until 2033, when his term was to nominally end.

The decision will be taken by the Supreme Court at election time. Elections are scheduled to be held in 2027.

Golden Dawn made a sensational entry into parliament in 2012, in a climate of social distress linked to the financial crisis in Greece, loss of trust in institutions and discrediting of the main political parties.

In Greece, the far right is currently fragmented into various small parties, several of whom are not in parliament.

In the last elections in 2023, a far-right party named the Spartans picked up over 240,000 votes with Kasidiaris' public backing.

Y.Zaher--SF-PST