Golden Dawn trial: “Battle” for mitigating circumstances from the convicted
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The process for the 42 defendants in the trial of the criminal organization Golden Dawn, who are requesting mitigating circumstances, will continue on Thursday.
- 04 Μαρτίου 2026 18:53
A “battle” to receive mitigating circumstances, with the ultimate goal of a reduced sentence, was fought by the defense lawyers immediately after the decision of the Five-Member Court of Appeals for Felonies, which convicted the 42 members of the Golden Dawn criminal organization.
The speeches were not without “flamboyance,” such as that of the lawyer for Matthaiopoulos, who, commenting on the conviction, said: “Your convicting decision will be judged by history and will go to the archives of the State in the same position as the decision for Kolokotronis and Karaiskakis…”
Depending on the case, the defense lawyers primarily requested the mitigating circumstances of prior lawful conduct, subsequent good behavior after the act, and the unreasonable duration of the trial. Christos Pappas and Georgios Patelis, through their defense, requested the mitigating factor of violating the presumption of innocence, citing statements by various officials and other individuals regarding the outcome of the process and the guilt or innocence of the defendants.
Former members of the parliamentary group, such as Ilias Kasidiaris, Eleni Zaroulia, Evaggelos Boukouras, Christos Alexopoulos, and other MPs, also requested the recognition of mitigating circumstances.
It should be noted that the convicted individuals who had been granted a suspension of their sentence until the appeal now face imprisonment if no mitigating circumstances are granted, in order to serve their sentence.
The court is expected to reconvene tomorrow, Thursday, for the continuation of the defense speeches on the mitigating circumstances, after which the prosecutor will take the floor to make a statement.
