Golden Dawn leader in court

The leader of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party has been remanded in custody on charges of running a criminal group.

Read: Golden Dawn arrests significant moment for Greece

Nikolaos Mihaloliakos appeared before a magistrates court and a prosecutor to respond to charges of founding and participating in a criminal organisation.

The decision to jail the party chief will be a boost for Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' efforts to clamp down on Golden Dawn after an alleged party sympathiser fatally stabbed an anti-fascism rapper last month.

Mihaloliakos was arrested on Saturday alongside other party members.

Three senior members of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party barged their way from court after being freed following charges of belonging to a criminal group.

The party's spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris was released on bail of 50,000 euros and has been prevented from leaving the country. Ilias Panagiotaros and Nikos Michos were released with travel restrictions while a fourth member, Yannis Lagos, was sent to jail pending trial.

All four denied charges against them in a plea session before an investigating magistrate that lasted more than 18 hours.

The four men were arrested on Saturday along with party leader Nikolaos Mihaloliakos and other party members.

Three senior politicians from Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party have been released pending their trial on charges of belonging to a criminal group.

Court officials told the Associated Press a fourth politician, Ioannis Lagos, was jailed ahead of the trial.

The Golden Dawn party members were arrested at the weekend following an investigation into the fatal stabbing of 34-year-old Greek hip-hop artist and anti-racism campaigner Pavlos Fyssas.

All four denied charges against them in a marathon plea session before an investigating magistrate that ended early this morning after more than 18 hours.

Party leader Nikolaos Mihaloliakos, who is also detained, is due to appear in court later today.

The leader of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party will appear in court today where he is expected to respond to charges of organising a criminal group.

Read: Golden Dawn arrests significant moment for Greece

Nikolaos Mihaloliakos was one of six party members arrested over the weekend.

The arrests came amid public anger over the fatal stabbing of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.

The man arrested over the attack told police he was a supporter of the far-right party, though Golden Dawn deny any link.

Three Golden Dawn extremist right-wing party members have arrived at an Athens court for a preliminary hearing into charges of participating in a criminal organisation.

The Greek government says it will present a bill targeting racist hate speech, as part of a crackdown on the Golden Dawn party after the killing of an anti-fascist rapper last month.

Four MPs from Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party will appear in court today as the country's government seeks to quell unrest over the murder of an anti-fascist activist.

Read: Golden Dawn arrests significant moment for Greece

The four, who face charges of belonging to a criminal group and other counts including assault, money laundering and murder, were arrested over the weekend.

The party's leader Nikos Michaloliakos and his deputy were also arrested and will appear in court later this week.

Party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, Yannis Lagos, Nikos Michos and Ilias Panagiotaros will be formally charged today.

The arrests follow the fatal stabbing of Greek hip-hop artist and anti-racism campaigner, Pavlos Fyssas, who was allegedly killed by a self-confessed neo-Nazi who worked in a Golden Dawn office.

Greece's government has submitted legislation to Parliament aimed at cutting state funding to the extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party following a series of arrests of its members.

The party's leader and four other members are facing charges of belonging to a criminal organisation.

"Democracy cannot fund its rivals," said Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos in a news conference.

"Therefore when you have a criminal organisation which is operating inside a political party, there must be sanctions regarding funding," Venizelos added.

Under the legislation, state funding would be suspended for a party if any members of its leadership or lawmakers are being prosecuted for felonies.

Read: Golden Dawn politicians to enter pleas on Tuesday

The leader of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party and four more of its politicians will make their pleas against charges of belonging to a criminal organisation on Tuesday.

The arrest of party leader Nikolaos Mihaloliakos, party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, four others is the biggest mass detention of lawmakers since the end of Greece's military dictatorship in 1974.

Thirteen party members were also arrested and will appear in court to enter their pleas on Wednesday.

Read: Greek far-right MPs charged

The crisis engulfing Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party dominates many newspaper front pages today, after its leader and four MPs were charged with membership of a criminal organisation.

A further 15 people, including 13 Golden Dawn members and two police officers, have also been arrested.

Read: Greek far-right MPs charged

The leader of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party Nikos Michaloliakos, alongside party spokesman Ilias Kassidiaris and three other parliamentarians were arrested by counter-terrorism police earlier today, and have been formally charged with membership of a criminal organisation.

Nikos Michos and Ilias Panayiotaros gave themselves up voluntarily, according to the Associated Press.

A further 15 people, including 13 Golden Dawn members and two police officers, have also been arrested and are due to appear before a prosecutor and an examining magistrate soon. They face the same charges.