The defendants in the 2018 far-right attack on the "Favela" social space in Piraeus have been unanimously found guilty by the judges of the Mixed Jury Appeals Court of Piraeus, according to a social media post by lawyer Thanasis Kampagiannis.

The two men, Akis Theodorou and Sotiris Develekos, were convicted for their role in the violent incident linked to Golden Dawn, the far-right group and former political party that entrered the Greek parliament in 2012 and found Golden Dawn guilty of running a criminal organisation in 2020.

This recent ruling is seen as significant, with Kampagiannis noting that it could be used in the appeal process of the Golden Dawn case to show that the organisation continued its criminal activities even after the 2013 murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

Kampagiannis explained that the court upheld the original sentences. Develekos has already served his sentence, while Theodorou is reportedly abroad. “Another ruling that could prove useful in the Golden Dawn appeal trial,” he said.

The 2018 attack on Favela

In February 2018, a group of Golden Dawn members launched a violent attack on the “Favela” Free Social Centre, located at 11 Navarchou Botsi Street in Piraeus. Five people were injured, including a lawyer representing the Fyssas family in the Golden Dawn trial.

At the time of the assault, five individuals were inside the space, waiting for a scheduled assembly to begin. According to reports at the time, seven masked attackers entered silently, wearing motorcycle helmets. Once inside, they set off a flare, injuring one person in the face, while shouting far-right slogans such as “Blood, Honour, Golden Dawn” and “This is Piraeus.”

The attackers also used collapsible batons, injuring another man and two women. The victims were taken to the Attikon General University Hospital, where they received stitches. Among those hurt was Eleftheria Tombatzoglou, the Fyssas family’s lawyer, who suffered serious head trauma and deep wounds to the scalp, according to medical reports published at the time.

As the assailants left, they smashed a window from the outside. No arrests or detentions were made immediately following the incident.

A post from the Favela social space published shortly after the attack read:

“This afternoon, as we opened the space for our weekly assembly, we were attacked by a group of Golden Dawn members carrying batons, helmets and flares. The space was damaged and several people injured.

We categorically deny the absurd media reports claiming explosives were found on-site or that searches were carried out at participants’ homes.

A full statement will follow. This attack will not go unanswered. These acts of violence will not intimidate us!”

A month later, two members of Golden Dawn were identified and confirmed as participants in the attack. According to a report from Efimerida ton Syntakton at the time, a fingerprint found at the scene helped identify one of the perpetrators as a member of Golden Dawn’s local Piraeus branch, who had also been recognised as the leader of an earlier assault outside the Appeals Court in November 2017.

The suspect was recognised by the victims, including Eleftheria Tombatzoglou, who played a key role in the Golden Dawn trial as the Fyssas family’s legal representative.

Now, on 5 May 2025, both Akis Theodorou and Sotiris Develekos have been found unanimously guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and damaging property.

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