Ex-Golden Dawn member extradited to Greece to start jail term

A former member of Greece’s extreme right Golden Dawn party, Ioannis Lagos, was extradited to Athens on Saturday from Brussels, where he was a member of the European parliament.

EU lawmakers stripped Lagos of his immunity last month, paving the way for his arrest and extradition to Greece where he is to serve a prison sentence alongside other party members.

The leaders of Golden Dawn, who were often seen giving Nazi-style salutes, were sentenced to prison in October by a Greek court for running a criminal gang linked to hate crimes during the country’s economic crisis.

Six former lawmakers, including Lagos and Golden Dawn leader Nikos Mihaloliakos, were given 13-year jail terms.

Lagos was due to appear before a prosecutor on Saturday.

He had escaped arrest in October by leaving for Brussels the day the verdict was announced.

[Reuters]