As far as publicity in the Antifa Ost trial is concerned, the last day of the trial once again set standards: first, officers checked a visitor in front of the courthouse because she looked similar to a person who was wanted in the proceedings with an arrest warrant. This „logical possibility“ – a favorite phrase of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office – has to be looked at closely: the cops assume that people who are wanted by arrest warrant in the same proceedings show up in court, show their identity cards and walk into the building. On top of that, there were numerous lectures from the presiding judge and the threat of punishment if there was any movement from the audience at the end of the trial. The master of selective listening and interrupting, Schlüter-Staats recommends the audience to shut up and listen, while comrades and friends are to be put in jail for years. In this sense, we invite all interested to listen closely, discuss and disagree, both on the day of the verdict and the day after!

A public plea: insights into the Antifa Ost trial.
Thursday, June 1, 6 p.m.
Location to follow

After 98 days of trial before the Higher Regional Court (HRC), the verdict against the four accused antifascists will be handed down in the Antifa Ost trial on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The political dimension of this trial is clearly shown in the actions of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FPO), which is pressing for a conviction of the defendants with all means at its disposal. It presents the defendants to the public as quasi-terrorists whose guilt is already established. The proceedings were consequently conducted in the state protection room of the HRC and, according to the FPO, are to end with draconian punishments. The media coverage belies the fact that numerous pieces of evidence were interpreted one-sidedly and even exculpatory material was ignored. As in similar proceedings, the circumstances were inclined to limit public participation in the trial. We want to open up this space in a public event and conduct political discussion based on the trial.

In the context of the event „A public plea: Insights of the defense in the Antifa Ost trial“ we want to look behind the curtain of the trial at the Dresden Higher Regional Court with the defense attorneys of the four accused antifascists. The focus will be on state actors and their political goals. What effects did the softening of §129 StGB have on the proceedings here? What does the verdict mean for follow-up proceedings and politically active people in and outside of Saxony? How can anti-fascists deal with the ongoing criminalization of their political work in the future?

The basis for this will be the defense’s statements at the end of the trial as well as their political and legal perspective on the verdict and the course of the trial.

The event „A Public Plea: Insights of the Defense into the Antifa East Trial“ will take place on Thursday, June 1. (At least as far as we can plan. Now that the hearing of evidence has been closed again, there is actually nothing standing in the way of the verdict on 5/31. But if something should change, we will inform promptly on our page).