Greek minister fears more unrest after political murders
Athens (AFP) - Greece's public order minister warned Sunday of more extremist violence in the economically depressed country after the murder of an anti-fascist rapper and two members of a neo-Nazi party.
"I fear another attack ... and a counter-attack, which was already what I feared after the murder of Pavlos Fyssas," the left-wing musician killed by a member of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party in September, Nikos Dendias told Sunday paper To Vima.
Dendias warned of "the beginning of a spiral of terrorist attacks and a bloody vendetta with insecurity spreading in society".
The murder of two Golden Dawn members after 35-year-old Fyssas's death could also contribute to a victim's mentality among party supporters and strengthen it politically, he added.
Greek anti-terrorist units are investigating the murder of Emmanuel Kapelonis, 22, and Giorgos Foudoulis, 27, who were gunned down at close range by two men on November 1, and investigators are following leads in anarchist and far-left circles which have claimed earlier attacks.
After Fyssas's death in a knife attack, Greek authorities launched a much delayed crackdown on Golden Dawn activities that came after neo-Nazis repeatedly assaulted immigrants.
Three MPs of the party, including its founder and number two, were remanded in custody in early October and charged with membership of a criminal organisation.
Golden Dawn sent its first MPs to parliament after garnering seven percent of the vote in general elections in June last year, and polls show support for the anti-immigration and anti-Semitic party rising steadily.
