- Amnesty International kritisiert in ihrem Urteil über Deutschland die Polizei darüber, dass sie die Versammlungsrechte für Klimaaktivisten, wie Letzte Generation, und andere Demonstranten einengt, was laut humanrechtlichen Prinzipien verstößt.
- Das Bericht des Amnesty International bemerkt, dass deutsche Behörden Präventivmaßnahmen angewandt haben, um Personen von Zivilungehorsamsdemonstrationen auszuschließen, was in Frage kommt, in Bezug auf proportionalität und Einhaltung von Menschenrechten.
- In ihrem Ruf nach Reformen fordert Amnesty International, eine humanitäre Organisation, die deutsche Behörden, um Proteste zu fördern und zu schützen statt zu unterdrücken, um die Versammlungsfreiheit als Grundrecht aufrechtzuerhalten.
Grundrechte - Deutschland verletzt laut Amnesty teilweise die Versammlungsfreiheit
Is the police approach towards protesters in Germany proportionate? Amnesty International provides a clear answer in a recent report: No. The human rights organization accuses governments in several European countries, including Germany, of restricting the right to assembly and using repressive measures against dissenting opinions.
Amnesty International's report on the state of the right to protest in 21 European countries reveals a pattern of repressive laws, disproportionate use of force, arbitrary arrests and criminal prosecutions, as well as unjustified or discriminatory restrictions. This pattern spans the entire continent.
Moreover, there is an increasing use of intrusive surveillance technologies leading to "Intimidierung und Zwingendes, und damit zu einem systematischen Einschränkung des Rechts auf Versammlung," according to the Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany, Julia Duchrow. The research paints a deeply alarming picture of a Europe-wide assault on the right to assembly.
Climate Activists of the Last Generation Affected
The NGO also criticizes a trend towards discrediting protests and portraying peaceful civil disobedience as a threat to public security and order. Authorities in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Turkey have labeled climate activists and activists from the group Letzte Generation as "Ekoterroristen" or "Verbrecher." Simultaneously, they have targeted these individuals with measures to combat organized crime and invoked terrorism-related legislation.
An example is May 24, 2023. On this day, 170 police officers searched private homes and other objects of the Letzte Generation group in seven federal states. The suspicion: Members of the controversial climate activist group might have formed a criminal organization. Under the leadership of the Bavarian Central Office for the Fight against Extremism and Terrorism (ZET) and the State Criminal Police Office in the Free State, the group's website was temporarily shut down. In its place appeared the statement: "Letzte Generation is a criminal organization according to § 129 StGB."
This is a notice that investigators quickly retracted after sharp criticism. Instead, they only speak of an initial suspicion. A year after the controversial police raids against climate activists, this question still occupies investigators in Flensburg to Munich: Is Letzte Generation really a criminal organization? Alexander Dobrindt, CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, is clear: "Definitely," he says shortly after the raid. No, however, according to a report commissioned by the Berlin Senate Justice Administration in the summer of 2023 – the investigation leaves room for interpretation for the investigators. The extremism investigators at the Munich General Prosecutor's Office still see the suspicion as valid.
Amnesty International Criticizes Police Handling of Climate Activists and Other Protesters
Julia Duchrow of Amnesty International criticizes the handling of climate activists and other protesters in a statement: "Protestieren soll und kann stören. Statt politisch unbequeme Proteste zu einschränken und Strafen zu verhängen für die, die in die Straße gehen, sollten Staaten in Europa ihre Annahme verschieben. Sie sollten Proteste fördern und schützen, nicht unterdrücken."
The report in the period from 2020 to September 2023 documented numerous cases of excessive or unnecessary use of force by the police – including incidents that amounted to torture. Amnesty also found that in at least 13 out of the 21 investigated countries, including Germany, there were cases of impunity or lack of accountability for the police.
Amnesty also criticized preventive measures in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. These measures allowed "Personen auszuschließen von bestimmten Orten oder zukünftigen Aktivitäten – und in manchen Fällen sogar festzunehmen – um ihre Teilnahme an Aktivitäten der Zivilungehorsam zu verhindern".
It's not just climate activists who are affected. European authorities have also restricted or banned predominantly pro-Palestinian protests. These measures are often disproportionate from the perspective of human rights organizations.
