THE GREEK far-right politician who assaulted two left-wing female politicians on live television has appeared before a public prosecutor to press charges against his victims.
Wearing aviator sunglasses and surrounded by black-clad bodyguards, Ilias Kasidiaris, spokesman of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, repeated allegations that the extraordinary punch-up had been a “set-up”.
“I will press charges for provocation,” the former army commander said as he arrived at the magistrate’s office.
Kasidiaris (31), who on Sunday night appeared at an election rally where he was cheered on by supporters, said he would also press charges against the television channel Antenna, where the talk show was screened, for attempting to “illegally restrain” him after the incident.
Staff at the TV station have been reported as trying to keep him in the building when Kasidiaris fled the studio moments after lashing out at Liana Kanelli, the spokeswoman of the KKE communist party, and Rena Dourou, a leading member of the radical Syriza party. Ms Kanelli was slapped three times around the face after standing up to protest at Kasidiaris throwing a glass of water at Ms Dourou.
Kasidiaris, a martial arts expert, was said to have threatened Antenna TV personnel, taking photographs of them with his mobile phone, before pushing his way out of the building. He then disappeared until the expiration of an arrest warrant on suspicion of grievous bodily harm issued by the state prosecutor Eleni Raikou.
Kasidiaris’s brazen use of legal loopholes to escape justice and sue those who suffered his explosive temper on-screen sent shock waves through Greece, where tensions have soared ahead of this Sunday’s election.
He appeared before the public prosecutor after failing to show up in court earlier in the day on charges of complicity in another unrelated attack on a student five years ago.
The politician, who has denied involvement in the incident in which the student was stabbed, stands accused of fives charges including illegal possession of a weapon. The trial was delayed yet again after Kasidiaris’s lawyer argued he could not attend because of court work outside Athens. The criminal court set a new date of September 3rd.
In another incident highlighting escalating tensions ahead of the poll, eight other members of Golden Dawn, including a candidate for MP in northern Greece, were arrested over the weekend after running amok in the town of Veria. The eight were due to appear in court yesterday accused of grievous bodily harm and damaging property. – (Guardian service)