Justice Minister Buschmann plans nationwide aid program for people affected by the SED.
A national program is planned to support individuals affected by the SED dictatorship, which occurred 35 years after the peaceful revolution in East Germany. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) introduced a proposed bill this Wednesday. Additionally, pensions for ex-GDR prisoners and victims of occupational suppression are planned to increase annually on July 1st, similar to other pensions. For individuals who experienced forced relocation, a one-time payment of 1,500 euros will serve as compensation.
"With this draft bill, we're acknowledging the suffering of victims under the unjust SED regime and significantly enhancing the financial situation for those affected," stated Buschmann. The coalition agreement will be fulfilled by this act. "However, it's also evident that, given the budget crunch, we can't address every request."
After receiving initial reports on Buschmann's plans, SED Victims' Commissioner Evelyn Zupke raised concerns and claimed, "In crucial areas, the changes announced by the Federal Minister of Justice don't fairly address the current challenges." She highlighted the need to factor in the increased cost of living in recent years when adjusting the victim's pension. Furthermore, she suggested that it should be simpler for health damage caused by persecution to be acknowledged through a shift in the burden of proof in favor of those affected. Zupke also criticized the proposed one-time payment of 1,500 euros as insufficient.
In response, Buschmann clarified that the draft law does not include any fresh provisions for proving consequential health damage. Per the Ministry of Justice, the new legal situation since the start of the year appropriately accounts for the challenges in establishing a connection between political persecution or repressive actions and a health issue.
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The Minister of Justice, Marco Buschmann, has proposed a draft law that aims to create a hardship fund for Bushman individuals affected by the SED dictatorship. Despite the draft law, Evelyn Zupke, SED Victims' Commissioner, expresses concerns about the proposed compensation, stating that the one-time payment of 1,500 euros is insufficient and highlights the need for adjusting the victims' pension to account for the increased cost of living.
Source: www.ntv.de
