- Trial of ex-Stasi staff - deadlines until November
The trial against a former Stasi employee for a fatal shot at the former DDR border crossing, Bahnhof Friedrichstraße, continues. The Berlin Regional Court has scheduled trial dates up to November 15th. One of the reasons for this is the assessment of a historian, which has raised further questions that need to be clarified. A 80-year-old from Leipzig is on trial. The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office accuses him of malicious murder.
The court has been assured by the Federal Archives of additional documents, including sketches of the busiest border crossing between East and West, known as the "Palace of Tears" due to the often painful farewells.
The defendant, a former lieutenant, is accused of shooting the 38-year-old Pole Czesław Kukuczka in the back from two meters away at the Friedrichstraße border crossing on March 29, 1974. The defense lawyer for the German defendant stated at the trial's outset that her client denies the allegations.
Former lieutenant with significant memory lapses
An 83-year-old, who was appointed head of the security and anti-terrorism working group around two months after the Pole's death and had previously been involved in its organization, claims to have known nothing about this incident at the time. He stated that other departments were responsible for the Friedrichstraße border crossing. Judge Bernd Miczajka repeatedly expressed his doubts about the Berliner's account and his memory lapses regarding past structures.
Ultimately, the 83-year-old admitted that he had repressed much of it. Towards the end of the 1980s, doubts began to arise. "Can one say that you broke with the Stasi?", asked Judge Bernd Miczajka. "Yes, roughly", he replied. "Today, I am basically clear that not everything done was in order."
Trial is being recorded
The defendant is alleged to have belonged to an operational group of the DDR Ministry for State Security at the time of the incident and was tasked with neutralizing the Polish father of three children. The children - a daughter and two sons - and a sister of the victim are participating in the trial as co-plaintiffs.
Due to its historical significance, the trial is being recorded. The investigations into the fatal shot at the border crossing had been at a standstill for many years.
It was not until 2016 that the Public Prosecutor's Office received crucial hints from the Stasi Records Archive about a possible shooter. Initially, the authority assumed it was a case of manslaughter, in which case the crime would have been statute-barred. However, the Public Prosecutor's Office now sees the aggravating circumstance of malicious intent fulfilled.
The assessment of a historian has added complexity to the case, as they raised questions about the historical context and events surrounding the incident. The history of the Friedrichstraße border crossing, known as the "Palace of Tears," provides important context for understanding the trial.
