The coward and cold-blooded murder of a young Greek rapper. A mother patiently waiting for justice to prevail, counting the days, the months, the years. A big trial with huge files of material and dozens of defendants. A trial that has been going on since 2015. A political party of far-right extremists under criminal investigation.
Progressive Greeks commemorate today Pavlos Fyssas.
The 34-year-old rapper with stage name KillaP and antifa activist was stabbed to death by a local member of far-right extremists Golden Dawn late night on 17. September 2013.
On that dark street of Keratsini suburb of Piraeus Pavlos Fyssas was dying in the arms of his girl friend, following an ambush by a GD hit squad consisting of 15 to 30 members.
Front man Giorgos Roupakias stabbed him to death, making sure he was not to survive.
Police squads that arrived in the scene did fairly nothing, according his girl-friend’s testimony in court.
Police officers claimed that they came late and could not hinder the murder. Footage from CCTV cameras in the areas dismiss the officer’s claims though. The footage was collected by investigators acting in the name of Fyssas’ family and were submitted to the court on Sept 17th 2018.
Before his death, Pavlos managed to name his murderer to police.
However, it was police officers in a police car coming from another area who arrested Roupakias.
Roupakias is out of prison and under house arrest, after the obligatory 18-month detention time expired and despite the fact that he had confessed the murder to a judge.
Fyssas’ murder not only shocked
It gained political significance, when his family decided to take the murderer into a trial that includes also other crimes committed by Golden Dawn members.
Two years after the murder, leader Nikos Michaloliakos accepted “political responsibility” for Fyssas’ murder.
Fyssas’ mother Magda became a symbol against fascism and never missed a single trial session form 174 so far.
69 leading members of GD are charged with running a criminal organization, 18 of them were to be involved in Fyssas’ murder.
If they are found guilty, GD would lose all its 16 seats in the Parliament.
The trail started on 20. April 2015 and is expected to end next year, “rather towards the end of 2019,” the lawyer of Fyssas family told state broadcaster ERT on Monday.
150 witnesses have been questioned so far.
“A few dozens witnesses are to testify in court in the following months,” the lawyer said adding “they will mostly speak about the character of the murderer and other GD members.”
“In the first months of the trial there were several delays, but now we manage to keep a pace of some 10 court sessions per month, she said.
Despite that delays, the criminal structure of GD and the crimes against foreigners and Greeks have been made clear in the court room.
According to latest developments in the court, footage has been submitted that shows the police did not do anything to prevent the murder.
