Twenty-eight individuals, including 13 minors, were brought before a prosecutor in Thessaloniki on Thursday, accused of being members of a violent far-right criminal organization that operated in Thessaloniki under the name “Nationalist Youth of Thessaloniki,” also known as “DEFEND SALONICA,” according to reporting from the Athens News Agency.
Police reported the arrests followed a month-long investigation by the Sub-Directorate for Combating Racist and Extremist Violence, which identified the group’s involvement in a series of crimes including racist assaults, robberies, property damage, and the recruitment of minors to carry out illegal acts. The investigation concluded that the organization had been active since at least 2019.
According to police, the group’s activities included attacks with racist motives, two robberies at knifepoint, destruction of school property, vandalism of political party offices and public buildings, and violent altercations, some of which resulted in injuries. Police linked the organization to incidents of nationalist graffiti and slogans targeting leftist and minority groups.
The “Nationalist Youth of Thessaloniki” is alleged to have operated with a clear hierarchy and a structured system for indoctrinating and mobilizing young recruits. The older members played key roles in directing illegal operations, while younger members, including minors, were assigned tasks such as surveillance, material preparation, and participation in assaults and vandalism. The organization maintained financial autonomy through member contributions used to purchase items including banners, helmets, clubs, and spray paint.
Authorities say the group used encrypted online platforms to evade detection and promoted their far-right ideology through a network of social media accounts. These platforms were used to coordinate attacks, spread propaganda, and attract new recruits.
Police searches of the suspects’ homes uncovered weapons, racist paraphernalia, and extremist material, including brass knuckles, knives, swords, hunting cartridges, cannabis, propaganda books, and symbols bearing nationalist and racist imagery. Thirty-three mobile phones and six computers were also seized as part of the investigation.
The Athens News Agency reports that one additional minor connected to the organization has been identified but not yet arrested, as he is currently abroad.
The suspects are accused of a wide range of felonies, including criminal organization, human trafficking through the recruitment of minors for criminal purposes, bodily harm, robbery, incitement to commit crimes, and violations of laws related to weapons, narcotics, and data protection.
Authorities also noted the group’s connection to previous high-profile incidents, including a 2021 attack on students during an anti-racist demonstration in western Thessaloniki. Previous reporting links the same organization name with a variety of racist intimidation campaigns. As reported by Ta Nea in October 2024, vandals painted neo-Nazi slogans such as “Heil Hitler” and swastikas on a high school in Neapoli and the offices of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), signing the messages with the name—“Nationalist Youth of Thessaloniki.” An investigation from The TOC in January 2022 documented a campaign of terror in schools across western Thessaloniki, that it attributed to groups including the “Nationalist Youth of Thessaloniki”, that consisted of threatening teachers, beating students with dissenting views, and attacking refugee students.
