ATHENS, May 12 (RAPSI) – Greece’s Supreme Court has allowed 43 parties and movements, including the far-right Golden Dawn party, to run in European Parliament elections this month, writes the Greek Newspaper of Editors.

Under Greek law, only those convicted of a crime are disqualified from running in an election. Golden Dawn (Chrysi Avgi) sports a swastika-like symbol and its members have supposedly been seen giving Nazi-style salutes.

The Supreme Court heard a compliant against Golden Dawn participation in the European elections on the grounds that some of its active members and MPs are being investigated for alleged involvement in political violence.

Six Golden Dawn members, including party leader Nikos Michaloliakos, one of his deputies and several MPs, are in prison awaiting trial. Several other Golden Dawn MPs have been stripped of parliamentary immunity.

However, the Supreme Curt ruled that Golden Dawn may take part in the elections because no court decision has been made against the party so far and the inspection only concerned the documents submitted for the elections, including the party’s charter, rather than accusations of ultra-right political activity.

Another party being allowed to run is National Dawn (Ethniki Avgi), which the Greek nationalists established as an alternative if Golden Dawn is banned.

The case on outlawing Golden Dawn as a criminal organization was opened after the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas at an ultra-nationalist rally in September 2013.

Law enforcement agencies have received no complaints against the alternative party, National Dawn.  The Golden Dawn party dropped from third to fourth/fifth place in the opinion polls. Only 7.6% of respondents said they would vote for its candidates.