Leader of Golden Dawn Nikos Michaloliakos is in custody facing charges of being the leader of a criminal organization. In jail pending trial are also two party MPs, whiel three other MPs were released on bail. The decision of Greek government to crack down the extreme-right party on charges of being a criminal organization was certainly not without evidence. Last Saturday authorities issued 32 arrest warrants for the six GD politicians and 26 local branch officers and members of the GD. Right after the handcuffs on 22 people over last weekend, ex Golden Dawn but also active members started to talk: to authorities and to the media. Under conditions of anonymity, of course, out of fear of reprisals.
It seems that quite a number of GD members and supporters were shocked by the stabbing to death of leftist rapper Pavlos Fyssas by GD member Giorgos Roupakias.
Witnesses told authorities and media about the strict ‘military’ structure of Golden Dawn, of protections deals, of “assault quads”. They even claimed that GD was selling “donated clothes to migrants and cash provision”. The details are almost endless.
Also BBC spoke to an ex GD supporter, a woman, who claims to reveal the price list Golden Dawn was charging for offering services similar to the practices of organized crime.
BBC Greece’s Golden Dawn: ‘Don’t say a word or I’ll burn you alive’
Whistleblowers are now under police protection. But we traced a former supporter who offered us a rare insight into how the party functions.
Woman describes how Golden Dawn members offered to attack a man in exchange for cash.
She attended Golden Dawn meetings looking for support, after being harassed by a man.
“Inside, I saw clubs and shields,” she tells me. “Everyone stood to attention when the leader came in. They talked of beating up gay and dark-skinned people.”
She lights a cigarette and holds back the tears.
“A party member came to visit me,” she says. “He made me an offer: he could break someone’s arm and leg for 300 euros [£250]. Set a car on fire for 1,000 euros. Put someone in hospital for a month for 1,500 euros.
“I didn’t want any of it, so I broke off communication. Later he came back and told us not to say a word or he’d burn us alive.” (full story BBC)
