No exclusion of the international media from the NSU trial
On 17 April, the trial of Beate Z. (38), Ralf W. (38), Carsten S. (33), André E. (33) and Holger G. (38) will begin in the 6th Criminal Senate at Munich Higher Regional Court (OLG). The charges include formation of a terrorist organisation, the National Socialist Underground (NSU). The trial is quite rightly attracting considerable public and media interest. Unsurprisingly, this applies especially to the Turkish public and Turkish media, which have a particular interest in the opening of the trial as eight of the ten victims are of Turkish origin.
We believe that the great interest in the trial could and should have been predicted by Munich Higher Regional Court. Unfortunately, its response so far has been inadequate. What matters now is to avoid creating or reinforcing the impression that the broad international public, media and migrants are being excluded from the proceedings.
It would therefore be welcome if the Court were to utilise its full scope to facilitate the broad presence of the international media – including, first and foremost, representatives of the Turkish and Greek press – thereby serving the interests of information and transparency to the greatest possible extent.
The watchword for this trial too should be this: the public and media interest in these unprecedented proceedings should not be tailored to fit the available space, but vice versa – appropriate facilities must be provided in order to do justice to the great interest in the trial.
We are convinced that it is possible, in Germany, to stage legal proceedings in a manner which takes account of security interests, the principles of justice, and the interests of a democratic international public.
Signatories:
2. Memet Kılıç, MdB
3. Aydan Özoğuz, MdB
4. Rainer Arnold, MdB
5. Herbert Behrens, MdB
6. Karin Binder, MdB
7. Matthias W. Birkwald, MdB
8. Heidrun Bluhm, MdB
9. Martina Bunge, MdB
10. Martin Burkert, MdB
11. Viola von Cramon, MdB
12. Dr. Diether Dehm, MdB
13. Elke Ferner, MdB
14. Wolfgang Gehrcke, MdB
15. Nicole Gohlke, MdB
16. Christel Humme, MdB
17. Ulla Jelpke, MdB
18. Dr. Lukrezia Jochimsen, MdB
19. Josip Juratovic, MdB
20. Johannes Kahrs, MdB
21. Susanne Kieckbusch, MdB
22. Lars Klingbeil, MdB
23. Harald Koch, MdB
24. Dr. Bärbel Kofler, MdB
25. Jutta Krellmann, MdB
26. Gabriele Lösekrug-Möller, MdB
27. Kirsten Lühmann, MdB
28. Caren Marks, MdB
29. Niema Movassat, MdB
30. Bettina Hagedorn, MdB
31. Heike Hänsel, MdB
32. Dr. Rosemarie Hein, MdB
33. Dr. Hermann E. Ott, MdB
34. Heinz Paula, MdB
35. Dr. Sascha Raabe, MdB
36. Mechthild Rawert, MdB
37. Stefan Rebmann, MdB
38. René Röspel, MdB
39. Paul Schäfer, MdB
40. Dr. Gerhard Schick, MdB
41. Werner Schieder, MdB
42. Ulla Schmidt, MdB
43. Ilja Seifert, MdB
44. Kathrin Senger -Schäfer, MdB
45. Sonja Steffen, MdB
46. Sabine Stüber, MdB
47. Frank Tempel, MdB
48. Alexander Ulrich, MdB
49. Kathrin Vogler, MdB
50. Sahra Wagenknecht, MdB
51. Arfst Wagner, MdB
52. Katrin Werner, MdB
53. Jörn Wunderlich, MdB
54. Uta Zapf, MdB
55. Manfred Zöllmer, MdB
