In a landmark ruling, Greece’s Supreme Court has banned the far-right Spartans party from competing in the upcoming European elections, saying the grouping was operating as a facade for a convicted neo-Nazi politician.
The damning verdict drew the unanimous support of Supreme court justices who deemed the Spartans an offshoot of the now defunct neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, with convicted felon Ilias Kassidiaris at its helm.
The court’s 86-page ruling detailed how the Spartans party was effectively formed under the guidance of Mr. Kassidiaris in order to bypass legal stops blocking him from participating in last year’s national elections while in prison.
The ruling said Mr. Kasidiaris never renounced his involvement in a spree of violent and racist attacks waged under the helm of Golden Dawn, among Europe’s most violent far-right groupings.
The Supreme Court ruling accused the Spartans of waging voter fraud, posing, ultimately, as threat to democracy for inciting violence, racism, xenophobia, and hate speech.
The Spartans were banned together with 14 parties and coalitions the Supreme Court justices reviewed ahead of the June European elections. More than 40 were reviewed.