A former Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi) MP, Ilias Kassidiaris, among the leaders of the neo-Nazi formation, will be granted a prison furlough in order to participate in a swearing-in ceremony of recently elected Athens municipal councilors, local media reported on Saturday.
Kassidiaris ran in last autumn’s local government elections and managed to secure a place on the town council.
The ceremony is expected to take place on Dec 28 at the Kypseli Municipal Market in central Athens. He is expected to be suspended from the office, however, immediately after taking the oath due to his continued incarceration.
According to local media, self-styled anti-fascist groups plan to hold protests on the day of the swearing-in ceremony.
Kassidiaris was convicted in 2020 of founding and running a criminal organization under the guise of a political party. He was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison, along with several of his fellow party members, including the party’s leader, Nikos Mihaloliakos.
The trial ended after more than 450 hearings since 2015, when it began.
