Greece cuts state funds for far-right Golden Dawn party

The Greek parliament has voted overwhelmingly to suspend state funding for the far-right Golden Dawn party.

The new law allows an indefinite funding freeze for parties whose leadership is charged with involvement in a criminal group or terrorism.

Golden Dawn's leader and two MPs are in custody awaiting trial on charges of being part of a criminal organisation.

Their arrests follow the murder of an anti-fascist musician, allegedly by a supporter of the party.

The party strongly denies any link to the accused man.

However, the fatal stabbing last month has led to increasing calls for the party to be banned outright.

The new law was passed by 235 votes to zero in the 300-seat assembly during a late-night sitting on Tuesday.

The move looks likely to deprive Golden Dawn of a major financial resource, the website of Greek newspaper Ekathimerini reported.

Athens has set aside 11m euros (£9.3m) for elected parties in 2013 including 873,000 euros for Golden Dawn, it said.

The controversial party has a strong anti-austerity and anti-immigrant agenda and has been accused of perpetrating attacks on migrants and political opponents.

It officially denies being a neo-Nazi movement, despite its swastika-like insignia.