Trial of alleged left-wing extremist in Leipzig |
Lina E. is heavily burdened by the key witness
Dresden/Leipzig – On the 60th day of the trial once morest the alleged left-wing extremist Lina E. (27) and three other men, key witness Johannes D. (30) testified for the first time on Thursday. The educator burdened the accused and other suspects massively.
Johannes D. is escorted into the courtroom by five armed LKA officers and is in the witness protection program. The 30-year-old himself was active in the left-wing scene for years until his ex-girlfriend accused him of rape and domestic violence online.
The proceedings were discontinued in March this year because the ex-girlfriend did not uphold the allegation of violence once morest the public prosecutor. “Nevertheless, the accusations were spread further, photos of me were published on the Internet,” says Johannes D. “I lost my job as a teacher in Warsaw, where I wanted to start a new life.” That’s why he decided to testify.
The attack on the right scene local
The key witness said on Thursday that Johann G., Lina E.’s fiancé who went into hiding, hired him for the robbery of the owner of the right-wing pub “Bulls Eye” in Eisenach in December 2019.
“I got the car for the trip from Berlin to Eisenach from Jonathan M. (27, co-accused). Tobias E. was there, Julian, Paul M., Lina E. and Johann G.”, reports the key witness. He himself observed the pub and gave notice when the owner Leon R. left the pub with his companions.
Targets should be seriously injured
As a result, the Kneiper and his companion were beaten and injured, according to the indictment, with tear gas and metal bars.
“The aim of the actions was to hurt the fascists so much that they might no longer carry out their activities. To make them give up, to break their will, ”explained Johannes D. in court. The questioning of the key witness is to be continued next Wednesday.
The federal prosecutor accuses the student Lina E. from Kassel and three men from Leipzig and Berlin of attacking and beating up members of the right-wing scene in Leipzig, Wurzen and Eisenach between 2018 and 2020.
They are also accused of forming a criminal organization, which Lina E. is said to be the leader of. The 27-year-old is in custody, the three co-defendants between the ages of 27 and 36 are at large. So far they have remained silent on the allegations.
The defense accuses the special commission for left-wing extremism in the Saxony State Criminal Police Office (LKA), which was commissioned with the investigation at the time, of “constructing a criminal organization from a number of acts of bodily harm” and speaks of a “politicized procedure”.