{{Greek police arrested the leader, two lawmakers and party members from the far-right Golden Dawn party on Saturday, and charged one member with being an accomplice to the killing of an anti-fascist rapper, a police official said.}}<\/p>\n
Police said party leader Nikolaos Mihaloliakos, spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, two other lawmakers and 10 members had been arrested on charges of founding a criminal organisation. They are due to appear in court this weekend to be formally charged.<\/p>\n
Golden Dawn, ranked Greece\u2019s third most popular party in opinion polls, is under investigation for the murder of Pavlos Fissas which sparked violent protests and a crackdown on political extremism.<\/p>\n
The party has denied any links to the killing and Mihaloliakos has warned the party could pull its 18 lawmakers from parliament if the crackdown does not stop.<\/p>\n
If potential by-elections were won by the opposition, as some polls indicate, Greece\u2019s fragile two-party coalition would become politically untenable, Mihaloliakos has argued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShame on them, the people will lift Golden Dawn higher,\u201d Ilias Panagiotaros, a Golden Dawn lawmakers told reporters before his arrest.<\/p>\n
The party has 18 out of parliament\u2019s 300 lawmakers and scored 14 percent of voter support in opinion polls before the stabbing. A poll this week showed its backing had fallen to as low as 6.7 percent.<\/p>\n
Greek lawmakers do not lose their political rights or seats unless there is a final court ruling against them but the government has proposed a law that could block state funding for Golden Dawn if police find links to Fissas\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n
reuters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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