Court of law - Trial after violence around Eritrea festival: 650 proceedings
Approximately one year after the violent disturbances at the contentious Eritrea Festival in Gießen, a hearing is taking place at the Amtsgericht of the middle Hessian city on Thursday (11:00 AM). A 24-year-old man must answer for the charges of serious breach of peace, physical assault on enforcement officers, and dangerous bodily harm.
The man is accused of participating in violent attacks on police officers as part of a group of approximately 100 people. The group is said to have been armed with stones, bottles, and sticks. Several officers were reportedly injured as a result of the attacks, sustaining hematomas and contusions.
The 24-year-old is reportedly an Eritrean national, according to the Gießen Public Prosecutor's Office. He is currently in investigative detention, was last reported to be in Switzerland, and has no prior convictions.
According to police reports, a total of 26 police officers and officers were injured during the disturbances at the controversial festival in July 2023. Opponents of the event reportedly threw stones and bottles at police, lit smoke bombs, and broke through barriers in an attempt to reach the festival grounds.
The events reportedly led to approximately 650 investigative proceedings. According to a spokesperson for the Gießen Public Prosecutor's Office, who spoke to the German Press Agency on request, about 50 indictments and arrest warrants have been issued so far. The remaining investigations are either still open, have been discontinued, or arrest warrants have been issued and the corresponding individuals have been placed under investigation.
"The processing of the approximately 650 investigative proceedings represents a significant challenge for the Gießen Public Prosecutor's Office, which also poses a great challenge for us in view of the already existing massive caseload," explained the spokesperson. "Additional personnel is not available for the handling of these tasks."
- Despite being in investigative detention, the 24-year-old man, accused of excessive force at the Eritrea Festival, is scheduled to appear at the local court in Hesse for charges related to bodily injury, breach of peace, and assault on enforcement officers.
- The public prosecutor's office in Gießen is currently dealing with over 650 criminal processes following last year's violent demonstrations at the festival, with approximately 50 individuals facing indictment or arrest warrants for crimes such as bodily injury and breach of peace.
- The excesses committed during the Eritrea Festival, which resulted in bodily injury to several enforcement officers, have attracted the attention of the public prosecutor's office and the local court, leading to numerous investigations and court hearings.
- The hearing at the Amtsgericht in Hesse is a crucial step in the justice system's response to the crime and violence that occurred during the festival, with consequences potentially including imprisonment for bodily injury and breach of peace.
