The former spokesperson of Greece's neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party Ilias Kasidiaris walked free from prison on Tuesday after years behind bars.
The 45-year-old immediately vowed a political comeback, raising his fist outside Domokos prison while clutching a folded Greek flag.
Kasidiaris had been sentenced to 13 years for leading a violent organisation responsible for years of attacks on migrants and opponents.
Golden Dawn members were also convicted in the 2013 murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, a case that shocked Greece.
"Today I am back, and from what I see, I am not alone," Kasidiaris declared to a crowd of supporters.
He dismissed his imprisonment as "an underhanded and dirty conspiracy," blaming political rivals for engineering his downfall.
Kasidiaris promised to unveil the name of a new party on Monday, echoing forces surging across Europe.
Dozens of flag-waving supporters greeted him outside the prison, chanting that they would one day make him prime minister.
Gaining traction among the global far-right
His release arrives amid a broader far-right resurgence, including in Germany, where the Alternative for Germany (AfD) recently won a regional election, a first since World War II.
A former Golden Dawn lawmaker from 2012 to 2019, Kasidiaris kept campaigning from his cell, remaining active on social media via a YouTube channel with 162,000 subscribers.
In July, billionaire Elon Musk criticised his continued detention, calling the situation "messed up" in a post on X.
Kasidiaris has a documented history of violence, including slapping a lawmaker and hurling water during a televised debate in 2012. He has also spat at and struck camera crews.
A former drill instructor of Golden Dawn members, Kasidiaris has been pictured with a swastika tattoo on his left arm and is known for fits of violence.
Despite his release, legal experts say he remains barred from seeking office until 2033, pending a Supreme Court ruling.
Greece's next elections are scheduled for 2027, when that ban could potentially be revisited by the country's highest court.
