Greek neo-Nazi MP presses charges against his victims

A Greek neo-Nazi MP who shocked the country last week by assaulting two female deputies on live television pressed charges against his victims Monday. Ilias Kasidiaris, 31, who is himself on trial for alleged involvement in a 2007 mugging, claims the two women insulted him. Kasidiaris is a former army commando and the spokesman of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn group, which entered parliament for the first time in Greek history in an inconclusive general election on May 6, winning 6.9 percent of the vote. Another general election will be held on June 17. Appearing on an early morning talk show on June 7, Kasidiaris threw a glass of water at Syriza party deputy Rena Dourou after she accused Golden Dawn of seeking to "drag Greece 500 years into the past." Kasidiaris then struck Liana Kanelli from the communist KKE party three times as she rose to push him away. Accompanied to court by bodyguards on Thursday, he also filed a complaint against the TV station on the grounds of "illegal detention" because the network's employees tried to keep him on the premises following the incident. He further laid charges against a journalist present at the time, who called up a prosecutor asking for action to be taken against him. The prosecutor had ordered Kasidiaris' arrest on the grounds of attempted grievous bodily harm. But a 48-hour deadline for his arrest on sight expired on Saturday, meaning he is entitled to walk free until his trial. Kasidiaris was also in court on Monday for a hearing over the 2007 mugging of a student in Athens, which was postponed to September 3 due to the absence of his lawyer on other business. The latest polls indicate Golden Dawn will remain in parliament after the June 17 elections, despite a slight drop.