Parliament - Motion to question Zschäpe in NSU committee fails
The state parliament 's committee of inquiry into the activities of the right-wing terror cell NSU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has once again failed in its attempt to hear Beate Zschäpe, who was convicted of murder. On Monday, the FDP once again applied for Zschäpe to be heard as a witness, but was unable to get its way, as the opposition parliamentary group announced.
Faction leader René Domke emphasized that it was not about giving Zschäpe a platform, but about clarification. She had been a key figure in the National Socialist Underground. Her knowledge could contribute to clarifying the structures and relationships in the Rostock crime scene area. "In addition, her testimony could also provide information on the robberies of the Stralsund savings bank in November 2006 and January 2007." Furthermore, Zschäpe could possibly explain the contradiction between the high degree of conspiracy and the publication of the cover name"NSU" in a donation letter and an acknowledgement in the neo-Nazi magazine "Der Weisse Wolf". Zschäpe had already been questioned by the NSU committee of inquiry of the Bavarian state parliament.
Following the testimony of a former federal prosecutor general on Monday, SPD MP Bernd Lange emphasized his statement that no evidence of an NSU support network had been found in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "This finding is essential for understanding the structure and scope of the NSU and has important implications for the further investigation and reappraisal of NSU activities," said Lange. The name of the former Federal Prosecutor General was not mentioned.
Committee member Michael Noetzel from the Left Party expressed his disappointment. The former chief prosecutor had hardly been able to provide any information on the facts in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "I had expected today's hearing to shed light on the specific subject of our investigation," Noetzel explained. The witness was unable to provide any new information on possible contact persons, the choice of crime scene or the neo-Nazi magazine "Der Weisse Wolf".
The "National Socialist Underground" (NSU) was a terrorist cell consisting of Zschäpe, Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Böhnhardt, who carried out ten murders throughout Germany, one of them in Rostock, over a period of years from 2000 onwards. Their victims were nine businessmen of Turkish and Greek origin and a German policewoman. Two savings bank robberies in Stralsund can be attributed to her. Mundlos and Böhnhardt killed themselves in 2011 to avoid arrest - only then was the NSU uncovered.
Read also:
- Despite several attempts, the state parliament's NSU committee of inquiry in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has yet to secure the testimony of convicted NSU member Beate Zschäpe in an interrogation.
- Bernd Lange, an SPD MP, mentioned during Monday's hearing that no evidence of an NSU support network was found in Rostock, where René Domke, the FDP faction leader, believes Zschäpe's knowledge could contribute to clarifying the local crime scene structures.
- The failed motion to question Zschäpe in the NSU committee of inquiry was once again tabled by the FDP, with Domke explaining that it was not about giving her a platform, but about seeking clarification and potential new leads in the investigation.
- In the committee's investigation into the National Socialist Underground, the left-wing party member Michael Noetzel expressed disappointment that the former federal prosecutor general was unable to provide substantial information about the activities of the neo-Nazi group in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- Zschäpe is believed to have played a crucial role in the National Socialist Underground, which consisted of three members, including Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Böhnhardt, who carried out murders and robberies across Germany, with two such incidents occurring in Stralsund.
- Unlike her counterpart in Bavaria's NSU committee of inquiry, Zschäpe has so far refused to cooperate with her Mecklenburg-Vorpommern counterparts, making it difficult for the committee to clarify the involvement of the terror cell in the region.
- The Neo-Nazi publication "Der Weisse Wolf" has been drawn into the investigation, with questions regarding a cover name related to the NSU and its potential use in donation letters and acknowledgements raising doubts about the extent of the group's conspiracy.
- The FDP believes that Zschäpe's testimony could shed light on the games played by the members of the National Socialist Underground and provide valuable insights into their inner workings, but convincing the opposition parliamentary group to support their motion has proven difficult.
- The North German region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where Rostock is located, played a significant role in the NSU's activities, and the NSU committee of inquiry's ongoing investigation into the local connections and influences continues to be a focal point of the German government's efforts to combat extremism.
Source: www.stern.de
