Greece arrests three neo-Nazis for attacks, arms posession

Athens, Feb 15 (AFP) Greek police have arrested two neo-Nazi sympathisers for illegal arms possession and a third person suspected of involvement in an attack that left three Pakistani migrants hospitalised, a police source said today. The arrests come as Greece is increasingly coming under pressure by human rights groups and its European neighbours to fight its growing neo-Nazi tendencies and widespread xenophobic violence. In a public appeal to witnesses, police today released the names and photographs of two of the men -- arrested in an Athens suburb earlier this month after officers found a gun, switchblade knives and bats stashed in their car. The men, aged 19 and 27, are suspected of having taken part in recent anti-migrant raids linked to the violent Greek neo-Nazi group, Golden Dawn, which entered parliament in June after amassing seven percent of the votes. At least two people have been killed and about ten injured in the xenophobic crack-downs. Police arrested the third man, in his 30s and married to a Golden Dawn member, on the popular resort island of Crete. He is suspected of having taken part in Thursday's violent attack on three Pakistanis who were hospitalised after being severely stabbed and beaten. Police are still searching for nine other suspects linked to that attack. (AFP) ASY 02160021 NNNN