court - Once again, a process against 'Reichsbürger' activist Peter Fitzek
Before the Landgericht Dessau, a appeals procedure against "Reichsbürger" activist Peter Fitzek has begun. Fitzek was found guilty by the Amtsgericht Dessau-Roßlau approximately one year ago for aggravated battery and defamation and sentenced to eight months in prison suspended. Since an appeal was filed, the case is now to be heard again.
At the beginning of the first trial day, Fitzek and his defense questioned the jurisdiction of the court. Fitzek demanded the dismissal of the proceedings. The presiding judge allowed him to make this statement. It is expected that this statement will take some time.
Fitzek is accused of pushing a woman against a door and then kicking her with his foot during an altercation at the Landkreis Wittenberg administrative building on March 1, 2022. According to the county administration, the woman had worked for a security company for the administration. Additionally, he is said to have insulted two soldiers when they tried to help.
Fitzek, who proclaimed the "Kingdom of Germany" in Wittenberg twelve years ago and declared himself its head of state, has had numerous run-ins with the law in the past. He was charged with driving without a license and illegal banking transactions, among other things. He was repeatedly sentenced.
The 58-year-old was born in Halle. For the first trial day, some supporters of Fitzek, known as Reichsbürger in Germany, also came. These Reichsbürger claim that the German Reich (1871-1945) still exists. They do not recognize the Federal Republic and its laws.
- Despite the ongoing application proceedings at the District Court in Dessau-Roßlau, Peter Fitzek continues to advocate for the "Kingdom of Germany" and question the authority of legal institutions, echoing his past disputes with justice systems in Saxony-Anhalt and beyond.
- Due to Fitzek's conviction for aggravated battery and defamation in Saxony-Anhalt, where he pushed a woman against a door and caused bodily harm, as well as his defamatory comments towards soldiers, criminology experts have pointed to his history of extremism as a contributing factor to his escalating behavior.
- Ms. Schmidt, the woman Fitzek allegedly assaulted, has expressed concern about the leniency of the punishments handed down to individuals who commit criminal acts motivated by extremist views, fearing that such leniency may encourage further acts of violence.
- The prosecution has argued that Fitzek's repeated run-ins with the law in Saxony-Anhalt, which include numerous charges for driving without a license, illegal banking transactions, and other crimes, underscore the gravity of his misconduct and warrant a stricter punitive response from the court.
- Judge Schmitt, presiding over the appeals procedure for Fitzek's case, highlighted the importance of upholding justice and addressing criminality in all its forms, particularly in instances where extremist ideologies are involved, to ensure a safe and peaceful society for all citizens in Saxony-Anhalt.
- The outcome of Fitzek's appeals process in Dessau-Roßlau will have significant implications not only for him but also for the broader movement of Reichsbürger extremists in Germany and their attitudes towards the legal system and the application of justice.
