MEP Beleris praised Kasidiaris – backtracking after backlash
Conservative MEP Fredi Beleris praised convicted Ilias Kasidiaris, provoking fierce reactions. He was forced to backtrack following strong backlash from PASOK.
Beleris praised Kasidiaris – political storm and immediate backtracking
Conservative MEP Fredi Beleris provoked fierce reactions after lauding Ilias Kasidiaris — convicted for involvement in a criminal organisation that committed murders and pogroms against poor migrants — days before his release from prison, according to In.gr.
In an interview with television station ONE on 10 September, Beleris described Kasidiaris as "one of the few Greeks who did until the last day of his imprisonment", whilst granting the Nazi sympathiser the right to participate in the political arena.
Strong condemnation from PASOK
PASOK reacted sharply, demanding that the government spokesman immediately disavow the MEP "for his dangerous views". The party reminded that those convicted of serious criminal offences, such as murder, "do not perform 'feats of valour' by serving their sentences".
Particularly cutting was the intervention by PASOK MP Lefteris Karchimakis via a social media post. Karchimakis noted that Kasidiaris was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment and remained in prison for approximately seven years, with the remainder credited through good-behaviour remissions "as the law stipulates and applies to everyone". He questioned whether seven years of imprisonment could "become the Pool of Siloam for Nazi violence" and the blood of victims such as Pavlos Fysas, Shehzad Luqman, and the Egyptian fishermen.
"Fascists have no place in our neighbourhoods, in parliament, in democracy. We paid for them with a heavy toll in blood. Thus far," Karchimakis concluded.
Beleris's backtracking
Following the storm of reactions, Beleris was forced to backtrack. In a post, he acknowledged that "a remark of mine at one point in my interview on One was inappropriate" and retracted it. At the same time he attacked PASOK, accusing it of having "chosen to isolate that particular phrase from the entirety of my answer, creating an image that accords neither with the content of the interview nor with the positions I have consistently expressed".
The New Democracy MEP clarified that he "has no connection whatsoever with Mr Kasidiaris and what he represents", maintaining that his overall stance constitutes "an expression of his unwavering commitment to democracy, to institutions and to the rule of law".
In the same post, Beleris cited the legislative work of the New Democracy government, stating that "during its period in office all case files were concentrated and submitted to the judiciary, a courtroom was found for Golden Dawn to be tried, and the legislative framework was changed" with a view to protecting democracy from criminal organisations.
Source: In.gr