Prosecution after statement at banned pro-Palestinian demonstration
Following a statement made at a banned solidarity rally for Palestinians in Munich, the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office has brought charges against a 27-year-old man. The accused is alleged to have said in front of the cameras that he approved of the attack on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas at the beginning of October. He has been charged with condoning criminal acts. The charges were brought in an accelerated procedure, which is intended for cases with clear evidence.
The indictment is the first of its kind in Bavaria for alleged crimes in connection with the attack on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas, said a spokesperson for the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office on Wednesday. The anti-Semitism commissioner Andreas Franck is based there. The "Bild" newspaper had previously reported this.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the 27-year-old from Munich had taken part in a previously banned "gathering in solidarity with the Palestinian people" together with around 100 other people on Munich's Odeonsplatz on October 13. There, he is said to have expressed himself in the manner that has now led to his indictment.
The anti-Semitism commissioner took up the investigation after the man's statement was broadcast on the Bavarian radio program "Kontrovers".
"In the opinion of the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office, the accused's statement was capable of disturbing public peace," it said in a statement issued by the authority on Wednesday. "The German population shares in the suffering of the many people who have been murdered and abducted. The statements of sympathy made by the accused have the potential to cause considerable discord among the German population."
Despite the accelerated proceedings, the presumption of innocence applies - as always until a final verdict is reached. The Munich district court must now decide whether the charges will be admitted. The law provides for a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine for condoning criminal acts.
Since the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, Palestinians and supporters have repeatedly demonstrated on German streets, with some participants cheering on the Islamist Hamas.
The banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Germany have been met with conflicts, as shown by the 27-year-old man's charged condemnation of the Hamas attacks. Crimes linked to these demonstrations are not uncommon, as evidenced by the accelerated prosecution of the man for condoning such acts.
Source: www.dpa.com
