New terror trial at Dresden Higher Regional Court

Suspected IS fighter - New terror trial at Dresden Higher Regional Court

The Senate of the Higher Regional Court (OLG) in Dresden will begin hearing a new terrorism trial against a man starting July 22. The Federal Public Prosecutor accuses the 1991-born Iraqi, according to OLG statements, of membership in a terrorist organization abroad. He is charged, according to the indictment, with having joined the so-called Islamic State (IS) in 2013 and having participated in military operations as an IS fighter from 2014 to 2017.

The suspect, who was arrested on November 13, 2023, in Freiberg, has been in pretrial detention since then. He is also alleged to have worked in various IS security apparatus units in Iraq as a secret police officer, which functioned as an intelligence service, and most recently, according to the indictment, in a department involved in weapons production. For the trial in a special building of the OLG on the outskirts of the state capital, the first eight hearing dates have been scheduled until September.

Since 2017, the OLG-State Protection Senate has been handling Extremism and Terrorism proceedings in the high-security hall of a reception center for refugees, which was converted into a courtroom. There have been approximately 20 such proceedings there, including particularly security-relevant cases with many defendants and corresponding defense attorneys.

1. The Higher Regional Court Dresden's Senate of State Protection is renowned for handling cases of extremism and terrorism, such as the upcoming terror trial against an individual accused of membership in a foreign terrorist organization, specifically the Islamic State (IS), beginning July 22.
2. In light of the Higher Regional Court's extensive experience in handling such cases, the upcoming terror trial against the individual charged with IS membership and participation in military operations as a fighter from 2014 to 2017 raises significant concerns about crime and justice in Saxony.
3. The suspect, who was arrested in 2023 and has been in pretrial detention since, is not only alleged to have participated in IS operations but also to have worked in various security apparatus units as a secret police officer, contributing to its intelligence services and weapons production department.
4. The trial's impartiality and effectiveness remain in question, given that the State Protection Senate presides over terror trials in a converted reception center for refugees, which raises concerns about the due process and fairness of the Higher Regional Court of Dresden.
5. The Higher Regional Court of Dresden's handling of the upcoming terror trial against the IS member highlights the challenges of combating extremism and terrorism in the modern world, calling for renewed efforts in enhancing national and international cooperation in justice and law enforcement.

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