A Greek lawmaker faces criminal charges following a brawl in parliament

Release time：2024-05-21 22:28:47 Source：Culture Cross news portal

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s parliamentary speaker said that he would seek criminal charges against a lawmaker who allegedly punched a colleague during a debate on Wednesday.

The member of parliament, who hasn’t been named, was suspended for 15 days after the fight, which occurred just outside the debate chamber and was witnessed by several colleagues.

“We can indict the perpetrator of this vile and barbaric attack, to charge him with a felony under a fast-track procedure,” Speaker Constantine Tassoulas said.

“Parliamentary immunity applies to misdemeanors, but not felonies,” he said, adding that he had instructed parliament’s police department to escort the lawmaker to prosecuting authorities.

The brawl occurred hours before Greece’s Supreme Court is due to publish a list of political parties that will fulfil the requirements to field candidates in the June 9 European Parliament election.

The court will consider a petition by three political parties to exclude the far-right Spartans party over its alleged ties to the extreme right Golden Dawn, whose leading members were jailed in 2020 as members of a criminal organization.

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