Post date: Sep 28, 2013 8:55:12 PM
Greece's Citizens Protection Minister, in charge of public order, says the country was doing its duty in the arrest of members of the far right Golden Dawn party.
ATHENS, GREECE (SEPTEMBER 28 2013)(REUTERS) - Greece said on Saturday (September 28) it had done its democratic duty after members of the Golden Dawn Party were arrested.
"The State rose to the occasion and did its democratic duty. I can assure the Greek public that the investigation will not stop here," said Citizens Protection MinisterNikos Dendias, adding, "Golden Dawn tried to test the endurance of democracy. Today they received their answer from the law of the state."Dendias said he had compiled enough documentation that allowed for prosecutors to look at the party as a criminal organisation.
"Today is a historical day on a domestic and European level . It proves to everyone, and particularly to young people, that the rule of law is not naked and helpless when it comes to the threat of vulgar, irrational violence." he said.
The leader, deputies and members of the far right party faced a prosecutor on Saturday after being arrested by police on charges of founding and participating in a criminal organisation.
Greek police arrested the leader and more than a dozen senior members and lawmakers from the far-right Golden Dawn party on Saturday as part of an investigation following the killing of an anti-fascist rapper, Pavlos Fissas, by a party supporter.
The government began a legal investigation into the party following Fissas death on September 17 to see if there were grounds for criminal charges against the group over this and a string of other incidents.
The party has denied any links to the killing. It has 18 lawmakers in parliament and had become the third most popular party in the polls due to its anti-immigrant and anti-bailout rhetoric.
Its popularity in the polls has dived, however, since the stabbing.
Politicians and human rights' groups have accused the party of being linked to attacks on immigrants in the past but this is the first time it is being investigated for evidence linking it to an attack.