Golden Dawn members formally charged

The leader and dozens of members of Greece's far-right political party Golden Dawn are formally charged overnight Saturday with belonging to a criminal group.

Nikolaos Mihaloliakos and members of his party were led handcuffed by police in bullet proof vests and masks into the prosecutor's office in Athens.

Court officials say the charges stem from evidence linking the party to a string of attacks, including the stabbing to death of an anti-fascist hip hop artist, and an immigrant.

The party boasts a swastika-like symbol, and has risen to become Greece's the third most popular political party on a strict anti-immigrant platform.

The party currently holds 18 seats in parliament.