The Athens criminal appeals court on Wednesday handed down a sentence of 13 years imprisonment for Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and the other leadership members of the party, who are accused of forming and running Golden Dawn as a criminal organisation in the guise of a political party.

They include Christos Pappas, Ilias Kasidiaris, Ioannis Lagos, Giorgos Germenis, Ilias Panagiotaros, while Artemis Matthaiopoulos was given a slightly lower sentence of 10 years.

Shorter prison sentences of five to seven years were imposed on other members of the party accused only for their membership of a criminal organisation.

The presiding judge had earlier read out the sentence for the killer of Pavlos Fyssas, Giorgos Roupakias, handing down a life sentence for the murder and an additional 10 years for his membership of Golden Dawn, which has been ruled a criminal organisation. His accomplice in the killing was given eight years.

"As soon as we are officially informed which of the Golden Dawn members must be led to prison, according to the court's ruling, the responsible police services will proceed with their immediate arrest. The police are fully ready and know where everyone is located," police sources said to Athens-Macedonian News Agency on Wednesday.