We have to state it again and again: Police are racists, too!
The appeal process against Igor ended in acquittal on Tuesday,
23.08.2016. Yesterday, in the Erfurt State Court of Thuringia, it was
the agreement by the judge and state attorney that the statement 'Police
are racists, too!' is no criminal offence that surprised most. The judge
and state attorney made clear that Igor's behaviour does not justify a
conviction.
During the first trial in the Erfurt District Court, judge
Haunzel had to resort to third parties in order to warrant a conviction
(Red Help reported on that). During the second trial, the judge made it
clear that such a statement constitutes a form of expression of opinion,
especially when taking into account current decisions by the Federal
Constitutional Court in similar matters.
"Here it is about an expression of opinion on a social issue," the judge
summed it up while browsing the pleadings by the defending lawyer and
the defendant from the first-instance trial. The state attorney added:
"There are racist resentments among the German population (sic!)"
It took justice two years to realise that the statement might be a
finding of a fact. Still, the judge had to conclude with a wagging
finger: "Police are humans, too (sic!)", which could constitute a
similarly shortened fact-finding (or offence): "Police have weapons and
a justice behind them that regularly represents the interests of
uniforms and degenerates into ideological justice. The acquittal
surprises me," Igor said in front of the court house.
The banner for B. in front of the Erfurt Justice Center of 24.10.2014,
the day of the alleged criminal offence by Igor, is lost without trace.
Nevertheless, the statement "Police are racists" remains relevant,
considering daily racist police controls and racial profiling, the
state-orchestrated abduction of refugees by police - night after night -
and the ongoing thwarting of prosecution by the responsible public
prosecutor's office in the Oury Jalloh murder case.
Report by Sabotnik infoshop from the courtroom (German):
http://sabotnik.blogsport.de
Contact in issues around racist police violence (German/English):
The VOICE Refugee Forum Jena
Tel. +49 176 - 24568988
Email: thevoiceforum at gmx dot de
Website: http://thevoiceforum.org
Information on the Oury Jalloh murder case (German/English):
Initiative Oury Jalloh
Contact: Mr. Thomas Ndindah
Tel.: +49 176 - 99 621 504
Email: ouryjalloh.initiative at gmail dot com
Website: https://initiativeouryjalloh.wordpress.com
Information on the ongoing police racism trials in Erfurt (German):
Website: http://rotehilfeerfurt.blogsport.de