News & events
Charges against Savas Michael Matsas thrown out by judge in Athens
Only three supporters of the Golden Dawn fascists dared to show their face and none of them appeared at the trial to testify. According to an eyewitness account from the court house, when Savas Michael finished giving his speech he received such a huge round of applause that the judge began to scream in a desperate attempt to restore the "dignity" of the court. No one should doubt that this is a huge victory.
The trial of Savas Michael marked the first time in decades that anyone was called upon to defend themselves in a European court against charges brought on by fascists. The trial would never have gone forward without the backing of the right wing coalition government led by Antonis Samaras, the same government that administers the inhuman austerity measures imposed on the Greek working class and middle class dictated by the European troika.
Undoubtedly the publicity the trial began to receive on the international stage, all of it supportive of Savas Michael, proved embarrassing to the Greek government, exposing its corrupt judiciary system and the hollow shell that stands in for democracy in Greece. A notable example of press coverage that forced the government to change course is the remarkable account that appeared a couple of days before the trial in the Guardian. We are republishing that piece below.
Read the full article here:
http://forum.permanent-revolution.org/2013/09/charges-against-savas-michael-matsas.html