Roupakias to leave jail as GD trial progresses slowly

Giorgos Roupakias, the Golden Dawn member who stabbed rapper Pavlos Fyssas to death in 2013, is to be released from custody on March 18.

A council of appeal court judges decided Friday to grant Roupakias conditional release as he has spent the maximum 18 months permissible in pretrial custody, even though his trial, along with other members of the far-right group, is nowhere near completion.

The lack of a dedicated courtroom as well as numerous legal technicalities have meant that the trial has progressed extremely slowly and is not due to be completed before next year. Judge Maria Lepeniotou had warned some months ago that Roupakias and other suspects would be released before the trial has been completed.

Roupakias will be placed under house arrest once he is released from Korydallos Prison and will only be allowed to leave to attend his trial under a police escort.