ATHENS — The leader of the neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn Nikos Michaloliakos was sentenced by a Greek court on Wednesday to a 13-year jail term for running a criminal organization under the guise of a political party. Six other former senior members were sentenced between 10 and 13 years on similar charges, and 11 former Golden Dawn lawmakers were sentenced to between five and seven years in prison for being members of a criminal group. The court handed Giorgos Roupakias, a self-confessed Golden Dawn member, a life sentence fro the 2013 murder of the anti-fascist campaigner and hip-hop artist Pavlos Fyssas. Golden Dawn has been blamed for organizing multiple, violent attacks targeting immigrants and left-wing activists. Most were carried out in Athens. The landmark ruling is the culmination of a five-year court case that involved more than 50 defendants convicted of crimes ranging from illegal weapons possession, murder and assault. The judges will now decide if any of the sentences can be suspended pending appeals by the defendants. Those denied appeal will likely be detained later in the week. None of Golden Dawn"s main members attended the sentencing. Golden Dawn was founded as a neo-Nazi group in the 1980s and rose to prominence during the Euro financial crisis. The party entered the Greek parliament for the first time in 2012 after tapping into citizens" concerns about migration and austerity measures. — Agencies