On Monday, 29 June 2026, Gabriel Sakellaridis — leader of the New Left party — along with MPs Peti Perka and Theodoris Dritsas, visited the Athens Court of First Instance to file a criminal complaint against Kyriakos Velopoulos, head of the far-right Greek Solution party. The complaint is also signed by Sia Anagnostopoulou and Euclid Tsakalotos.
Allegations Under Anti-Racism Law
According to a statement from the New Left, the complaint accuses Velopoulos of inciting violence under Greece’s anti-racism legislation — specifically Article 1 of Law 927/1979, as amended by Law 4285/2014. The complaint stems from comments Velopoulos made on 10 June 2026 during an interview on the OPEN television channel.
When asked whether he would ‘sink’ migrant and refugee boats crossing the Aegean Sea, Velopoulos reportedly replied directly: “You sink it.” He repeated the statement later in the same discussion, the New Left says, showing apparent indifference to the illegality — and lethal consequences — of such an act.
Legal Argument: Incitement to Criminal Acts
The complaint argues that Velopoulos’s remarks amounted to urging both state authorities and private individuals to commit serious criminal acts — including deliberately sinking vessels — thereby causing shipwrecks with a high probability of death. It further states that these statements target people based on race and national origin, specifically citizens of third countries who are not EU members.
“Putting a Stop to Racist Speech”
In its announcement, the New Left stressed that weeks had passed since the remarks were made without any judicial action being taken. “With today’s complaint, the New Left takes this initiative to put a stop to the xenophobic and racist statements of far-right political figures,” the party said.
The move, it added, forms part of a broader political and legal struggle — one that society and the Left must undertake against the far right.
Greek Solution’s Response
Greek Solution responded with a sharply worded statement, accusing Sakellaridis — who previously worked for Amnesty International — of hypocrisy. The party said that next time it discusses illegal migration, it will first ask Sakellaridis whether it is acceptable to express Greek Solution’s “established and non-negotiable political positions.”
It also urged Sakellaridis to “read carefully” what those positions actually are — namely, defending “the existence of the Greek nation” and enforcing legality against “any illegal entry across our borders.”