Shortly before noon on Tuesday, September 15, Ilias Kasidiaris crossed the gate of the Domokos prison facility, concluding a multi-year, unlawful detention cycle concerning the Golden Dawn case and simultaneously initiating a fresh chapter surrounding his grand return to active politics.
He remained incarcerated for 7.5 years serving a 13-year sentence...
(In prison, working inmates reduce their served time by 50%, a framework established for over 45 years in the Greek penal code).
He is the first Greek convicted against whom authorities exhausted their maximum severity... it was an unequivocal political prosecution... beyond any remaining doubt...
Outside the correctional facility, dozens of supporters had assembled early, many carrying Greek flags or wearing shirts bearing messages of solidarity. The reception was accompanied by applause and political slogans, while he delivered his initial statements immediately upon exiting, signaling an intent to orchestrate a political re-emergence.
The initial statement following release
In his statement, Ilias Kasidiaris framed his release as the starting point of a return to political campaigning, pointing toward the creation of or participation in a new «national» political vehicle, seeking to align his future trajectory with the electoral rise of matching political entities across other European nations.
Concurrently, he launched an attack against the government and the established political system, alleging persistent efforts to obstruct his return to the Hellenic Parliament.
He addressed the statutory hurdles that continue to surround popular suffrage, framing the electorate as the definitive arbiter of his political roadmap.
Vaso Pantazi points to a «legal formula» for elections
Statements delivered by his legal counsel, Vaso Pantazi, generated notable interest, as she contended that his participation in upcoming national elections is viewed by the defense as assured, through an operational legal formula that, she claims, will not fall under the statutory bans enacted in 2023.
His defense counsel clarified that Ilias Kasidiaris cannot, under the prevailing statutory framework, appear simply as the founder and titular head of a new party in the manner available to a political figure without these specific convictions. Under the model she presented, pathways under consideration include political participation via an existing, non-parliamentary party formation or through an expanded coalition of figures and political groups.
This represents the formal stance and strategic planning of the defense, rather than a settled legal outcome.
The definitive eligibility of a political slate to contest national elections, alongside the legality of its organizational hierarchy or authentic leadership, will be judged by competent judicial authorities if and when relevant candidate slates are submitted.
Appeal to the Supreme Court and international petitions
Vaso Pantazi concurrently announced a renewed legal contest regarding the conviction of Ilias Kasidiaris, noting that the defense intends to petition the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece, arguing that legal errors marred the verdict.
According to her disclosures, representations have also been submitted before international institutional bodies citing the presumption of innocence and statutory human rights.
The defense consequently maintains both a formal challenge to the trial ruling and efforts to establish a viable pathway for his political return.
This produces an intricate environment, as the political blueprint and judicial proceedings of the former Golden Dawn figure will unfold along parallel tracks.
Political contacts outlined by legal counsel
Considerable debate surrounds remarks by his defense counsel concerning the political forces and voter bases toward which Ilias Kasidiaris might direct his outreach.
She explicitly ruled out political alliances with independent lawmakers originating from New Democracy and stated there is zero coordination with any potential new political initiative led by Antonis Samaras.
Political prosecution
1) Ilias Kasidiaris was convicted as a member of the criminal organization Golden Dawn without having personally committed an overt criminal transgression.
Zero direct or indirect complicity in the murder of Pavlos Fyssas was substantiated.
Ilias Kasidiaris was essentially convicted due to his tenure as a member of parliament for Golden Dawn.
It should be recalled that the trial prosecutor had recommended his acquittal.
Dismissive statements by political adversaries urging people not to engage with an incarcerated figure are utterly misguided...
2) The systematic rejections of his petitions for early conditional release, granted routinely to dozens of inmates, demonstrate that Ilias Kasidiaris is the target of targeted political persecution.
Among younger generations, Kasidiaris is perceived as unyielding, a figure who confronted the establishment and remained steadfast in his ideological convictions, stances that currently represent dominant currents across Europe, in Germany, France, and beyond.
Ilias the anti-establishment figure or Ilias the unyielding, as many young citizens remark...
Five tailored statutory bans against one citizen: First time in Greek history
3) Certain political opponents argue against paying attention to Kasidiaris, yet historical reality confirms that never before has the state passed four to five targeted legislative amendments specifically designed to bar an individual citizen from entry into the Hellenic Parliament.
Older generations recall that Georgios Papadopoulos, leader of the military regime in Greece, maintained the political party EPEN and endorsed it directly from within prison.
Georgios Papadopoulos possessed the capacity to execute this from behind bars, yet Ilias Kasidiaris was denied identical standing.
Never in the history of Greece has a state passed so many customized statutes against a solitary citizen...
This reality alone establishes the Kasidiaris phenomenon...
Ilias Kasidiaris will not stand as a parliamentary candidate
4) Ilias Kasidiaris will return to the central political arena, and his return is warranted, as charismatic, patriotic Greeks should maintain a voice in public administration.
The political personnel of Greece requires renewal against systemic corruption.
Nonetheless, Ilias Kasidiaris will not stand as an individual parliamentary candidate in the elections scheduled for May 9, 2027.
While as a citizen he retains the civil prerogative to stand for election, he will decline to exercise that specific option, likely assuming an institutional political role within the Patriotic Party «Symmachia Ellinon» without seeking personal election as a member of parliament.
5) The A1 Section of the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece, which convenes 18 days prior to the election, will be unable to disqualify the party backed by Kasidiaris, not simply because its formal leader will be another individual, but because while retaining the option to stand, he will refrain from submitting his candidacy.
Should this unfold, it will represent a prudent strategic maneuver...
However, Ilias Kasidiaris understands that the establishment will mount opposition against him and has formulated contingency plans covering every operational scenario.
The «Symmachia Ellinon» party targets 6% to 7% and secures parliamentary representation starting late September 2026
6) The party «Symmachia Ellinon», which is slated to achieve direct parliamentary representation by late September 2026 as three to four independent MPs join its ranks, holds strong prospects of delivering a major political surprise, securing 6% to 7% of the national vote, driven by younger voters who view Kasidiaris with enthusiasm...
Reaching 7% translates into electing approximately 18 members of parliament.
7) Many additional maneuvers will unfold in due course: the networks backing Kasidiaris, particularly abroad, are substantial, while domestic influencers also express alignment with his trajectory.
Regardless of subsequent developments, Kasidiaris will occupy the absolute center of Greek political life beginning September 15, 2026, whether critics welcome it or not, ensuring that the primary political battles lie ahead...
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