Several defendants in the Dresden trial of suspected left-wing extremists have maintained their anti-fascist stance in statements and accused the state of failing in the fight against the right-wing. “Antifascism aims to defend democracy from the fascist threat,” said a 32-year-old man on the second day of the trial. If the state does not act, society will assume that it has the legitimacy to solve its own problems. Therefore, responsibility for social radicalization lies with the government.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office accused the defendants, aged between 28 and 49, of membership or support of a criminal organization, among other things. In their indictment, federal prosecutors attested to their “militant anti-fascism” and left-wing extremist attitudes. Members of right-wing groups will be attacked in a planned manner. Individual defendants are also accused of crimes such as aggravated assault and property damage. In two cases, the charges were based on attempted murder.
According to prosecutors, the defendants carried out a brutal attack. Some victims suffered life-threatening injuries. The indictment lists 14 cases in which 35 people were assaulted.
In their personal statements, the three defendants rejected the Federal Prosecutor’s Office’s account on several counts. It said attacks on right-wing extremists turned into attacks on the state. The danger to the rule of law comes from right-wing extremist groups. The fascist danger is not abstract, but real for everyone who works for a society based on solidarity. The investigation into the case was not based on neutrality, but based on political motivation.
The defendant recalled his “baseball hitting years” in the East
The oldest defendant, aged 49, described his distressing experiences as a teenager in the so-called baseball bat years after reunification. At that time, the neo-Nazi scene was gaining strength in East Germany. “These days are full of violence,” more and more people are openly showing their right-wing extremist attitudes, he said.
As a young leftist, he was constantly faced with threats. Neo-Nazis killed several young men from his entourage. For him, anti-fascism is democratic self-defense and not a rejection of the rule of law. “Antifascism is necessary,” he concluded.
The request for a delay in processing was rejected
At the start of the trial, presiding judge Joachim Kubista rejected the defense’s request to postpone the trial. This is partly caused by incomplete access to these files. However, the court considered this to be baseless. Due to a power outage, the trial had to be stopped for about an hour and a half.
The focus of the trial was 32-year-old Johann G.. He had been hiding for a long time and was arrested by the Saxony State Criminal Police Office a year ago. The trial process is actually a continuation of the trial of student Lina E. and three co-defendants. They were sentenced to prison at the same place in 2023.
Supporters cheered the defendant with applause
On the second day of the trial, a number of left-wing sympathizers were also in the room and gave the defendants a standing ovation when they appeared. The Regional High Court again threatened to expel visitors from the courtroom if they applauded during the trial. This occurred after a personal explanation.
The defense saw clear prejudice and criticized it sharply
At the end of the first day of trial, lawyers for the seven defendants voiced strong criticism and called their clients prejudiced. Three judges considered them biased because they were involved in Lina E.’s trial and brought the sentence there.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251126-930-342899/4
