GD spokesman cleared of privacy violation in Baltakos case

A council of Greek judges on Friday cleared Golden Dawn spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris of any charges in a case involving the recording of a conversation with Panayiotis Baltakos, a close aide to former premier Antonis Samaras.

The council accepted a proposal by appeals court prosecutor Antonis Liogas who maintained that Kasidiaris should not face trial on privacy violation charges over the controversial recording which the GD spokesman secretly made in November 2013.

According to the prosecutor, the door of Baltakos's office had been open during his conversation with Kasidiaris and that the content of the conversation related to a matter of public interest with no reference being made to any personal issues. 

During the taped conversation, which was made public by Kasidiaris last spring, Baltakos can be heard telling the GD spokesman that the key aim of a crackdown on Golden Dawn was to stop the party drawing support from New Democracy.

Kasidiaris is currently on trial for membership of a criminal organization, along with the entire leadership of GD, all its MPs and dozens of members and supporters.