Lawmakers expelled from Greece's parliament over ties to jailed far-right politician
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Three far-right lawmakers in Greece were expelled Tuesday from parliament due to ties with a jailed politician convicted of leading a criminal organization.
A court found that Vasilis Stigas, the leader of the far-right Spartans party, and two other party lawmakers had misled voters in the 2023 parliamentary election. The decision comes as concerns grow among traditionally dominant political parties over the rise of far-right parties across Europe and their willingness to disrespect democratic rules.
The court determined the three had effectively served as proxies for a former member of Golden Dawn, a neo-Nazi inspired party, who was sentenced in 2020 to 13 years in prison for orchestrating violent attacks against migrants and political opponents.
The decision, welcomed by Greece's conservative government, will reduce the number of seats in parliament from 300 to 297 for the remainder of the legislative term through 2027. It also lowers the threshold required to pass legislation from 151 votes to 149.
The Spartans party, which won 4.7% of the popular vote in 2023, has denied any affiliation with Golden Dawn and did not immediately respond to the ruling. Two remaining Spartans lawmakers will continue to serve as independents.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
27 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
China and Hong Kong national security authorities launch 1st publicly known joint operation
HONG KONG (AP) — China's national security authorities in Hong Kong and the city's police launched their first publicly known joint operation, raiding the homes of six people on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. The police's statement on late Thursday did not disclose the identity of the six people suspected of breaking the 2020 Beijing-imposed national security law between November 2020 and June 2024. Beyond their homes, officers searched the office of the organization involved and seized exhibits such as bank documents and devices for further investigation, according to the statement. The six people were required to surrender their travel documents. Beijing's national security arm in Hong Kong also had requested assistance from the city's national security police, including in arranging interviews with the people in the case, the police said. But the local force did not elaborate details of their accusations and which organization it was, saying the investigation was still underway. Since the 2020 security law took effect, many leading activists have been prosecuted or jailed for national security offenses . Last week, prominent young activist Joshua Wong, who was already convicted and sentenced over a subversion case last year, was charged for the second time under the law. He faces up to life in prison over the fresh charge of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the law was necessary for returning stability to the city following massive anti-government protests in 2019. In May, Hong Kong enacted subsidiary legislation for a separate, homegrown national security law, which was passed last year. The subsidiary legislation requires public servants, if requested, to provide all necessary and reasonable assistance to Beijing's national security office in Hong Kong. Local public servants must offer such help if the office needs to ascertain whether a case involves a special circumstance that could allow it to have jurisdiction over the case. Over the past week, the Hong Kong authorities have stepped up their national security work as the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the Beijing-imposed law neared, including targeting a mobile game application which they accused of advocating armed revolution and promoting secessionist agendas.
Winnipeg Free Press
27 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Israeli strikes kill Iran's Revolution Guard leader, Gen. Hossein Salami
TEl AVIV, Israel (AP) — Iranian state television confirmed the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in Israel's strikes Friday morning. Gen. Hossein Salami was the chief of one of the country's most powerful centers, and his death was a tough blow to Iran's embattled leadership, which has had a series of setbacks in the past 20 months of Middle Eastern war and unrest. Salami rose to power six years ago and had a history of threatening the U.S. and Israel. Here's a closer look. Powerful arsenal of missiles Iran's Revolutionary Guard was created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since it was established, it's evolved from a paramilitary, domestic security force to a transnational force that has come to the aid of Tehran's allies in the Mideast, from Syria and Lebanon to Iraq. It operates in parallel to the country's existing armed forces and controls Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Salami, 65, was appointed as head of the guard in 2019 by the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The appointment followed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision during his first term to withdraw the U.S. from the international nuclear deal with Iran and restore crippling sanctions. It also followed Trump's designation of the Guard as a terrorist organization. Salami joined the guard at the outbreak of the bloody 1980s Iran-Iraq war. He later rose to head its air forces and was serving as a deputy commander in the guard when he was appointed. Harsh rhetoric Like other guard leaders, Salami routinely delivered speeches with harsh rhetoric towards Israel. In a 2016 speech he said there was 'fertile ground' for the 'annihilation, the wiping out, and the collapse of the Zionist regime'. He also threatened the United States. After the U.S. killed the powerful head of the guard's Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike outside Baghdad's airport in 2020, Salami threatened to retaliate against American and Israeli commanders. The Quds, or Jerusalem, Force is an elite wing of the Guard that oversees foreign operations. Five days later, Iran launched ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing American troops, causing injuries but no fatalities among soldiers there. After Soleimani was killed, Salami said that both the U.S. and Israel should know that 'if they threaten our commanders, none of their commanders will find a safe place' to live. Emerging from the shadow war Israel and Iran have run a shadow war for years, but last year the two attacked each other directly. When an Israeli strike killed seven guard members, including two Iranian generals at an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria, Salami vowed to retaliate. Weeks later, Salami ordered an operation that launched more than 300 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle East closer to a regionwide war. Israel said that 99% were intercepted with several ballistic missiles reaching Israeli territory, causing minor damage to an air base. In October Israel pounded Iran with a series of airstrikes in response to missile attacks into Israel from Iran earlier in the month. Israel's military said it targeted 'missile manufacturing facilities used to produce the missiles that Iran fired at the state of Israel over the last year.' Israel also weakened the country's air defenses, which helped clear the way for Friday's attacks.
Toronto Star
34 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
What to know about Iran's nuclear sites
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel attacked multiple Iranian nuclear and military sites on Friday as tensions reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Israeli leaders said the attack was necessary to head off what they claimed was an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs. Iran long has insisted its program is peaceful and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran was not actively pursuing the bomb. The attack came one day after the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors censured Iran for the first time in 20 years for not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The U.S. and Iran had been in talks that could have resulted in the U.S. lifting some of its crushing economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran drastically limiting or ending its enrichment of uranium. Here's a look at some major Iranian sites and their importance in Tehran's program. Natanz enrichment facility Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz, located some 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, is the country's main enrichment site. Part of the facility on Iran's Central Plateau is underground to defend against potential airstrikes. It operates multiple cascades, or groups of centrifuges working together to more quickly enrich uranium. Iran also is burrowing into the Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, or Pickax Mountain, which is just beyond Natanz's southern fencing. Natanz has been targeted by the Stuxnet virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges. Two separate sabotage attacks, attributed to Israel, also have struck the facility. Fordo enrichment facility Iran's nuclear facility at Fordo is located some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran. It also hosts centrifuge cascades, but isn't as big a facility as Natanz. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries, Fordo appears designed to withstand airstrikes. Its construction began at least in 2007, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, although Iran only informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog about the facility in 2009 after the U.S. and allied Western intelligence agencies became aware of its existence. Bushehr nuclear power plant Iran's only commercial nuclear power plant is in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, some 750 kilometers (465 miles) south of Tehran. Construction on the plant began under Iran's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the mid-1970s. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the plant was repeatedly targeted in the Iran-Iraq war. Russia later completed construction of the facility. Iran is building two other reactors like it at the site. Bushehr is fueled by uranium produced in Russia, not Iran, and is monitored by the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency. Arak heavy water reactor The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran. Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon. Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns. Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center The facility in Isfahan, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, employs thousands of nuclear scientists. It also is home to three Chinese research reactors and laboratories associated with the country's atomic program. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Tehran Research Reactor The Tehran Research Reactor is at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the civilian body overseeing the country's atomic program. The U.S. actually provided Iran the reactor in 1967 as part of America's 'Atoms for Peace' program during the Cold War. It initially required highly enriched uranium but was later retrofitted to use low-enriched uranium over proliferation concerns. ___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:
