A court in the northern port city of Thessaloniki sentenced 13 members of the far-right group Nationalist Youth of Thessaloniki, also known as Defend Salonica, to prison terms ranging from one to four years for their involvement in a series of violent attacks.
The Mixed Jury Court found 13 of the 15 defendants guilty of misdemeanor offenses including participation in a criminal gang, assault, weapons violations, and property damage. Most of those convicted were allowed to remain free pending appeal.
One of the group’s alleged leaders, who has been held in custody, was denied release pending appeal, although he has already served the time limit required for his sentence. A second key defendant, who was also in custody, was acquitted of all major charges and convicted only of possessing a knife and a small quantity of drugs.
Prosecutors alleged the group carried out a series of attacks between September 2024 and March 2025 targeting members of left-wing organizations. According to the indictment, the attacks were promoted through encrypted messaging applications and social media, and participants gave Nazi salutes during the assaults.
The defendants were described as supporters of jailed former lawmaker Ilias Kasidiaris, a prominent figure in Greece’s far-right movement and former spokesman for the now-defunct Golden Dawn party. Court documents said some members of the group had planned to travel to Athens to meet him.
