Greek Court of Appeals rules neo-Nazi Golden Dawn is a criminal organization

Rally outside the Court of Appeals -- image via the KKE

On March 4, 2026, the Greek Court of Appeals ruled that the Nazi Golden Dawn is a criminal organization, with all 42 defendants found guilty and definitively upholding their convictions.

“We are not resting on our laurels, and we have no illusions. These decisions are the result of pressure from the workers’ movement”, emphasized Sotiris Poulikogiannis, president of the Attica Metalworkers’ Union, as he announced the decision to those gathered outside the Court of Appeals. He stressed that “the real crushing of the Nazis comes from the workers’ movement in every neighborhood and workplace”.

“We are here today to shout out loud that the Nazis belong in prison”, said Nikos Ambatielos, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and MP for the party. “The message sent today by the workers’ and people’s movement is that it is through their own intervention, through mass action, that the people will consign the fascists to the dustbin of history”. He added: “The struggle does not end here. It will continue until fascism and the system that gives rise to it are completely crushed”.

In his speech in Parliament, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE, D. Koutsoumbas, referred to the Court of Appeal’s ruling that the Nazi Golden Dawn is a criminal organization, saying: “The ruling on the criminal Nazi character of Golden Dawn is important, and the sentences to be announced shortly must reflect this. However, we must not be complacent. Nazism and fascism are products of this system, and are being used in these times of intense competition, wars, and economic crises. It is the people who can ensure the final crushing of these forces.”