Court: THW may dismiss member of far-right band
The German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) may dismiss a volunteer helper for membership of a right-wing extremist band. This is the result of a ruling by the Koblenz Administrative Court, as announced by the court on Wednesday.
The case was brought by a long-standing member of the THW who was dismissed last year. It was stated that the band of which the man was a member was classified as right-wing extremist by the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior. According to the court, however, the plaintiff had said that he was only involved in the band in his free time and that he was committed to the free democratic basic order.
The court took a different view. Anyone who behaves in an anti-constitutional manner outside of the service cannot "achieve the necessary commitment to the constitutional order" within the service either, it said in justification. THW members could be required not to actively work against the constitution. "Membership of a right-wing extremist band is an irreconcilable contradiction to this." An appeal can be lodged against the ruling.
The court's decision to uphold the dismissal of the THW volunteer highlights the seriousness with which aid organizations view associations with extremist groups, such as joining a far-right extremist band. Consequently, there could be potential judgments against aid workers involved in crimes associated with extremist ideologies, potentially affecting the funding and operation of aid organizations.
Source: www.dpa.com
