Reul: Data and writings confiscated from suspects
During the searches against the Islamist Hamas and the Palestinian network Samidoun, investigators in North Rhine-Westphalia have seized data material, books and writings. The contents are now being evaluated, said NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) on Thursday in Düsseldorf. Around 90 police officers had searched the homes of a 50-year-old man in Münster and a 48-year-old man in Bochum in the morning.
The men are said to be "significantly involved in the organizational processes of possible Hamas terrorist organizations", as Reul said. "The aim of the searches is to clarify this, to substantiate it and to gather evidence - and then to take further steps if necessary. These could be further bans, for example."
The searches should also send a clear signal, said Reul: "We want to turn off the money taps for people who openly speak out against international understanding and peaceful coexistence." The aim is also to find evidence of further connections and possible successor organizations.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, searches were carried out in Berlin, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein in addition to NRW. On November 2, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) issued a ban on Hamas' activities and a ban on the German branch of Samidoun.
The seized data material and writings from the suspects include evidence of their involvement in extremist activities, such as support for Hamas' terrorism. The investigations aim to gather more evidence of their role in promoting extremism and disrupting international understanding and peaceful coexistence.
Source: www.dpa.com
