ATHENS, Greece (AP) A European Jewish group has presented Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras with an award following the arrest of leading members of the far-right Golden Dawn party, praising his "courageous leadership."
The Brussels-based European Jewish Congress held its annual executive meeting in Athens Monday and presented Samaras the award.
Golden Dawn's leader and two other party lawmakers were arrested and jailed in September, charged with membership of a criminal organization, following an investigation into the fatal stabbing of an anti-fascist rapper blamed on a party volunteer.
The party, whose leaders have openly expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler, has seen its support rise in opinion polls since gaining nearly 7 percent of the vote in 2012 general elections, as support for traditional political parties has collapsed amid economic crisis.
