A Greek judicial council on Friday allowed Nikos Michaloliakos, the leader of the far‑right Golden Dawn party, to serve the remainder of a 13‑year prison sentence under house arrest on health grounds, state media reported.
Michaloliakos, 67, has spent five years behind bars since his 2020 conviction in a landmark trial that found Golden Dawn to be a criminal organisation. The verdict and the party's subsequent legal dismantling followed years of violent attacks and a campaign of intimidation against immigrants, political opponents and activists that prosecutors said was carried out by party supporters.
Michaloliakos was convicted along with former Golden Dawn members of running or belonging to a criminal group tied to the murder of an anti‑fascist musician and to attempted murders of Egyptian fishermen and communist activists, among other violent incidents. He has long expressed admiration for Nazism, has given the Hitler salute at party rallies, and the movement adopted Nazi‑influenced iconography even as it denied being neo‑Nazi.
The decision to allow Michaloliakos to serve the rest of his sentence at home rekindled political controversy. Greece's New Left party said the release was "a serious blow to the collective memory and the struggle for democracy and justice," adding that the justice system "cannot send a message of impunity to those who embodied hatred and fascism." The country's Communist Party, KKE, said the decision should be overturned and warned that Golden Dawn's "crimes are not time‑limited in the consciousness of the people and the youth."
This is the second time Michaloliakos has been temporarily released since the 2020 convictions. He was briefly freed in May 2024, a move reported by news agencies, but was returned to prison after judicial officials concluded he had not shown adequately good behaviour.
Golden Dawn rose to national prominence during Greece's financial crisis, winning third place in the 2012 elections on an anti‑immigrant, nationalist platform amid widespread economic hardship. Its subsequent prosecution and convictions were hailed by many observers as a decisive move against violent political extremism in Greece, while also provoking fierce debate over free speech and the limits of political activity.
Authorities have cited Michaloliakos's age and health in deciding to permit house arrest, a regular legal provision in Greece for prisoners with serious health issues. The judicial council's ruling allows him to remain at home for the remainder of his sentence unless future reviews of his condition or behaviour prompt a different outcome.
The decision is likely to keep Golden Dawn and its legal treatment in the centre of Greek political debate, as parties on the left and human rights advocates press for strict enforcement of the convictions and vigilance against any resurgence of organised political violence. Government and judicial officials did not immediately provide further comment beyond the state media reports announcing the council's ruling.
Michaloliakos's transfer to home confinement will be monitored by courts, and legal and political actors may seek further judicial review or appeals in the coming days. The release comes as Greece continues to grapple with the legacy of the party's violence and the broader challenges posed by extremist movements across Europe.