Greek police announced on Thursday that they have arrested the deputy leader of the neo-Nazi party "Golden Dawn," Christos Pappas, who had been a fugitive since he was sentenced in October to 13 years in prison for his role in running this "criminal organization." The police stated in a press release that they apprehended Pappas (59 years old), who will appear before the prosecutor on Friday.
According to a security source speaking to Agence France-Presse, Pappas was hiding in a residence in the Zografou area of the Greek capital when arrested, and the police also detained a woman on suspicion of sheltering him.
Pappas, considered one of the most prominent theorists of "Golden Dawn," was sentenced to 13 years in prison in October following a marathon trial that lasted five and a half years in Athens, culminating in the conviction of about 50 members of the party to lengthy prison sentences for various crimes, including forming a criminal organization, murder, and illegal possession of firearms.
Pappas is the last remaining member of "Golden Dawn" who was still evading justice, following the extradition of Greek MEP Ioannis Lagos from Belgium on May 15, who was sentenced to 13 years and eight months for "leading a criminal organization."
Pappas, who owned a furniture store, is the son of a former army officer who played a key role in bringing the former dictator Georgios Papadopoulos to power in 1967. He is known for his admiration of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and for collecting memorabilia from the fascist era.
Pappas had previously managed to avoid arrest in 2013 when authorities detained members of "Golden Dawn" following the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, a crime that led to the dismantling of the organization.
The trial of "Golden Dawn" has been described as one of the most significant trials in Greece's political history.
