International mass media has welcomed the arrests and jailing of the leadership of the Golden Dawn fascist political party represented in Greek Parliament. The majority of the Greek population, including the one million immigrants, has approved this move as well.
Without a doubt, Golden Dawn was and is a fascist organization of the worst kind, attacking and murdering immigrants, promoting ultra-nationalism and clearly, as per latest investigation results, responsible also for the murder of the Greek anti-fascist, Pavlos Fyssas.
Still, international media and attention should not only focus on the recent arrests, but should also pay attention to the methods used to arrest the members and leadership of Golden Dawn, who had all legally become members of parliament in the last election. For the first time since the military coup of April 21, 1967, the leadership of a political party represented in Parliament has been arrested without following proper constitutional procedures.
Rather than using the normal procedure of obtaining the permission of Parliament in order to arrest the leadership of Golden Dawn, the Athens Regime interpreted article 62 of the Greek Constitution in an arbitrary way. This article mentions that it is permitted to arrest members of Parliament if they are caught in the act of committing (en flagrant delit) a felony. The Athens regime used this article of the constitution and charged the leadership of Golden Dawn with creating a criminal organization, considering this as “creating” a constant crime – and thus being in accordance with article 62. Note: “having created” would mean that the criminal act (allegedly) preceded the arrests, whereas the logic of the sentence would suggest that Golden Dawn (allegedly) was committing a criminal act at the moment its members were being arrested: hence the present tense “of creating.”
While the attention of all is focusing on the arrests, hardly anything is said about the fact that Pavlos Fyssas was murdered in front of five police agents who did nothing to prevent this killing.
Only a few days after the murder of Fyssas, Mr. Dendias, the Regime’s Minister of Protection of the Citizen(s?), transferred a dossier to the public prosecutor describing 35 cases of violence performed by Golden Dawn members over the past two years.
International public opinion is not asking why neither Minister nor Public Prosecutor had acted after each of these acts of violence. Had they acted immediately, perhaps Pavlos Fyssas might still be alive today. Why did the public turn a blind eye to police officers training Golden Dawn members in martial arts these last two years? Why did the public / the authorities permit Golden Dawn members of parliament to circulate armed – even in Parliament? And last but not least, why does international opinion not ask why democratic procedure was suddenly violated in Greece with this arrest? Could this create a precedent for possible future cases? Does this act open possibilities for all ruling governments within the EU to eliminate unwanted MPs by similar “article 62 acts” while avoiding proper procedure? Accidentally, this “article 62 act” comes right in time to distract the attention of the Greeks from the Troika’s ongoing visit to their country and that group’s further catastrophic orders. Rather than discussing the implications of the increasing economic problems affecting the population of Greece, the focus of attention has shifted to Golden Dawn – and crimes that have long been known and remained unpunished. Is this a policy of disorientation and fear –implemented in order to create fear among the Greeks and to let them know how quickly undemocratic means can be applied?
What is next? Will the opposition party SYRIZA be declared a criminal organization and its members arrested? The same could be done with any Trade Union or group of protesting citizens. Even the Athens regime could be declared a criminal organization by the Public Prosecutor and accused of crimes by creating circumstances leading to 10 suicides per day, ignoring the constitution and destroying the country by following the instructions of the Troika…..
Is the sun of Democracy setting in Greece and in the EU? – We must not let this happen.
Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos
Ambassador ad.honorem
Member of the Political Secretariat of EPAM
Athens September 30, 2013