Trial against ex-Stasi employee begins in March

GDR history - Trial against ex-Stasi employee begins in March

After shots were fired at the former inner-German border, an ex-Stasi employee will stand trial for murder in Berlin. The trial against the 79-year-old from Leipzig is scheduled to begin on March 14 at the Berlin Regional Court, as a court spokeswoman announced on request. Initially, the 29th Criminal Chamber has scheduled trial dates until May 23.

The Berlin public prosecutor's office is accusing the former Stasi employee of treacherous murder. The man is alleged to have shot a Pole in East Berlin at the former Friedrichstrasse station border crossing on March 29, 1974. According to the indictment, he killed the 38-year-old victim "with a targeted shot to the back from a hiding place".

According to the indictment, the accused was a member of an operational group of the GDR Ministry of State Security at the time of the crime and was tasked with "neutralizing" the Pole. Prior to this, the 38-year-old is said to have tried to force his departure to West Berlin at the Polish embassy.

Information on the case Statement from the public prosecutor's office

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1. The announcement of the trial has sparked interest in German and international criminal justice circles, as the accused is a notable figure in the history of East Germany's Stasi.
2. The trial in Berlin is expected to shed light on the actions of the GDR's secret police and the repercussions of their involvement in criminality.
3. The public prosecutor's office in Saxony has been closely involved in the investigation, working in cooperation with their Polish counterparts to gather evidence and ensure justice is served.
4. Following the trial, the court's verdict will likely impact the reputation of the former Stasi employee and the GDR's history, casting a new light on the past and its impact on modern-day Germany.
5. The murder trial in Berlin is a testament to the ongoing pursuit of justice, demonstrating that no case is too old or complicated to be brought before the court.
6. As the trial progresses, historians and journalists will closely watch the proceedings, seeking to understand the complexities of GDR history and its relevance to current political and social issues in Germany and Poland.

Source: www.stern.de