The Ethics Committee of Parliament convened yesterday and decided to recommend that the Parliamentary Assembly lifts the parliamentary immunity of Golden Dawn MPs Eleni Zaroulia, Ilias Kasidiaris, Michalis Arvanitis and Nikos Kouzilos. The Committee will reconvene on Tuesday the 18th of March to discuss the cases of the remaining Golden Dawn MPs Gregos, Zisimopoulos, Mattheopoulos, Barbarousis, Koutkoutsis, Alexopoulos and Michos.
The decision was supported by New Democracy, SYRIZA, PASOK, DIMAR and KKE, while ANEL’s MPs abstained. Earlier, ANEL’s MP Maria Kollia-Tsaroucha explained that her party would vote against the proposal if the detained Golden Dawn MPs are not given the right to vote in writing from prison.
Golden Dawn MP Kasidiaris claimed that the charges against him were fabricated and that he is being persecuted politically ahead of municipal elections in order to deny him the right to public speech.
The Golden Dawn MPs are currently being charged with joining and directing a criminal organization, which is a serious felony. Additional charges have also been brought against the Golden Dawn MPs who have already been detained awaiting trial.
