You’re a Guest, Go Back to Albania” — Greek Journalist of Albanian Origin Faces Racist Attack After Warning of Golden Dawn Ideology’s Return

Antilian Kotzai, a Greek journalist of Albanian origin, has been targeted by hundreds of abusive and racist comments on social media after publishing an article warning of the resurgence of far-right rhetoric and Golden Dawn ideology in Greece.

According to Top Channel correspondent Aleksandër Marku, the controversy began after Kotzai published a commentary in the Greek newspaper Documento titled “Beware, Golden Dawn’s Ideology Is Here.”

In the article, the journalist analyzed recent discussions in Athens and calls by far-right individuals for the “liberation” of the Agios Panteleimonas neighborhood and the Greek capital from people they describe as “invaders.”

Kotzai argued that such language evokes memories of attacks and pogroms against immigrants in Athens during the period when Golden Dawn was at the height of its activity.

After also sharing the article on Facebook, he said he received hundreds of racist responses. According to the journalist, the comments came both from genuine profiles and from accounts he believes were part of an organized attack.

Messages directed at him included: “Go back to Albania if you don’t like it” and “You are a guest in this country and should not speak.”

The journalist also said he had been threatened with legal action after stressing in his article that pogroms against immigrants have nothing to do with democracy.

Kotzai is a Greek citizen and has for years been publicly engaged in issues of integration and the rights of citizens from immigrant backgrounds. Following the attack, he said he would not remain silent.

“Whether the fascists like it or not, I, like hundreds of thousands of children of immigrants, am a Greek citizen,” he wrote. Kotzai added that journalists have a responsibility to address any social phenomenon that threatens democracy and peaceful coexistence.

The case prompted expressions of solidarity from left-wing journalists and politicians of the same political orientation, who described what happened as an “organized racist attack.” According to them, the journalist was targeted after publicly denouncing racism and Golden Dawn ideology.

His supporters stressed that demanding a Greek citizen “go back to Albania” solely because of his origin demonstrates precisely the problem Kotzai had warned about in his article.

The controversy comes at a time when debate over the activities of far-right circles has resurfaced in Greece. In his article, Kotzai also mentions Ilias Kasidiaris, a former Golden Dawn leader who was found guilty in 2020 of leading a criminal organization and has said he intends to find a way to be “present” in the next elections.

For the journalist, the conclusion of this episode is directly linked to the title of the article that sparked the controversy:

“Golden Dawn’s ideology is here and requires democratic vigilance.”