A leading Greek neo-Nazi parliamentarian "approved" the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013, the victim's mother told a court on Friday.
Magda Fyssas said Yiannis Lagos, an MP for greater Piraeus at the time of the murder, had given party henchmen the go-ahead to stab her son.
"Nothing would have been done without approval from Lagos, there is no chance," she told the court.
Party leader Nikos Michaloliakos was also "aware" of the incident, she said.
State prosecutors have already found evidence that Golden Dawn operated under a military-style leadership, with the actions of regional squad commanders tightly controlled by party higher-ups.
Magda Fyssas said orders from Lagos had been relayed to Yiorgos Patelis, regional Golden Dawn commander for the district of Keratsini where her son lived.
She said a group of Golden Dawn members "hemmed (Fyssas) in" until truck driver Yiorgos Roupakias arrived by car to stab him.
"I've seen Patelis on video saying 'anything that moves is slaughtered'," Magda Fyssas testified.
"Patelis sent text messages ordering them to kill," she said.
The prosecution is trying to prove that Golden Dawn operated as a full-blown criminal outfit that allegedly encouraged the beating -- and possibly the killing -- of migrants and political opponents.
A brawny bodybuilder with a handlebar moustache, Lagos was cautioned by parliament in May for threatening a female Communist MP.
In addition to the criminal organisation charge, he is also accused of illegal possession of a firearm.
Lagos had been placed in pre-trial detention in October 2013, along with most of the party's top brass, but was conditionally released in May.
He was briefly jailed again in July after violating the terms of his provisional release.
He stood again in last month's general election and topped his local constituency ticket, but failed to secure re-election to parliament.
A leading Greek neo-Nazi parliamentarian “approved” the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in 2013, the victim’s mother told a court on Friday.
Magda Fyssas said Yiannis Lagos, an MP for greater Piraeus at the time of the murder, had given party henchmen the go-ahead to stab her son.
“Nothing would have been done without approval from Lagos, there is no chance,” she told the court.
Party leader Nikos Michaloliakos was also “aware” of the incident, she said.
State prosecutors have already found evidence that Golden Dawn operated under a military-style leadership, with the actions of regional squad commanders tightly controlled by party higher-ups.
Magda Fyssas said orders from Lagos had been relayed to Yiorgos Patelis, regional Golden Dawn commander for the district of Keratsini where her son lived.
She said a group of Golden Dawn members “hemmed (Fyssas) in” until truck driver Yiorgos Roupakias arrived by car to stab him.
“I’ve seen Patelis on video saying ‘anything that moves is slaughtered’,” Magda Fyssas testified.
“Patelis sent text messages ordering them to kill,” she said.
The prosecution is trying to prove that Golden Dawn operated as a full-blown criminal outfit that allegedly encouraged the beating — and possibly the killing — of migrants and political opponents.
A brawny bodybuilder with a handlebar moustache, Lagos was cautioned by parliament in May for threatening a female Communist MP.
In addition to the criminal organisation charge, he is also accused of illegal possession of a firearm.
Lagos had been placed in pre-trial detention in October 2013, along with most of the party’s top brass, but was conditionally released in May.
He was briefly jailed again in July after violating the terms of his provisional release.
He stood again in last month’s general election and topped his local constituency ticket, but failed to secure re-election to parliament.
