democ.
After a trial lasting more than five months, on December 21, 2020, the Halle attacker was sentenced to life imprisonment with subsequent preventive detention. With regard to the controversial acts against İsmet Tekin and Aftax Ibrahim, the court was unable to establish attempted murder. After the verdict, some representatives of the joint plaintiffs and their […]
On December 1, 2020, the 22nd day of proceedings in the Halle trial, nine representatives of the joint plaintiffs gave their closing statements. They largely agreed with the demands of the (Fderal Public Prosecutor’s Office(GBA), but in part sharply criticized its inadequate efforts to shed light on all the murder attempts that had taken place […]
On December 2, 2020, during the short 23rd day of the Halle trial, the closing arguments of the joint plaintiffs continued. Four lawyers gave their closing statements and addressed, among other things, the responsibility that society bears for the crime. At the beginning of her final statement, attorney Assia Lewin emphasized the significance of […]
On the 24th day of the Halle trial on December 8, 2020, eight joint plaintiffs gave closing statements on the main proceedings against the confessed Halle attacker. Ten representatives of the joint plaintiffs also gave their closing speeches. The statements and pleas of the joint plaintiffs have thus been concluded. The closing statements of the […]
“You cannot be part of our society. We exclude you.” This is what I would like to say to the defendant, to the other people present here and to anyone who would like to hear my views on the trial. It is human nature to distinguish between two groups. Our own group and other people […]
“Why have I been having nightmares for over a year about him trying to kill me and about everything being so painful?” Your Honour, esteemed representatives of the Public Prosecutor General’s Office, ladies and gentlemen … with the exception of one person! I should like today to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Presiding Judge. […]
בס”ד “What grew out of the misery of that day is solidarity.” “There is meaning beyond absurdity” – I wish those words were mine – but they are those of Rabbi Abraham Yehoshua Heschel, one of the many great Jewish thinkers and rabbis who had to flee Germany in order to escape the Shoah. Someone […]
“The idea of ‘Never again’ has already been disproven.” Note: The original German version was read during the trial proceedings on December 1st, 2020. The following English version has been amended in order to clarify and give further background to German memorial culture and history. There have been two attacks on the two synagogues of […]
“At least one man is guilty. But all of German society is responsible.” The famed 20th century American Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, in response to his work in the Civil Rights movement in the United States: “In a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” Over the course of this trial, […]
“In this trial, we have been disappointed time and again.” What is the purpose of this trial? We have video evidence of the crime, we watched it. The defendant has acknowledged without a doubt that he is the perpetrator of the crime and even takes pride in it. With much of this ‘burden of proof’ […]