Shortly before lunch on Monday, the chairman of the State Security Senate turns to Sten E., a man who has tattooed a swastika on his right thigh. He sits here in the hall of the high security wing of the Dresden Higher Regional Court in the front row and is accused of being a member of the terrorist organization "Revolution Chemnitz", which is said to have planned serious criminal offenses. It is the second day of the trial.
The Federal Prosecution accuses Sten E. and another seven defendants of having founded the terrorist organization "Revolution Chemnitz" on September 10, 2018, for their "right-wing extremist and sometimes open National Socialist sentiments" and "their ideas of a state and social system geared towards this "to enforce. For October 3, last year, they planned the "system change". The Day of German Unity was to become the symbolic prelude to a series of violent, racist-motivated and politically dissident actions.
"Particularly worthy of protection"
Sten's defense lawyers disagree with the questioning of police officers who interrogated their clients during the night of 21 September and 1 October last year. Sten E., who attended a special school, suffers from a learning disability, the lawyers say. He was "particularly worthy of protection". And he could not have been questioned at that time, as happened, without a defender at his side.
However, the representatives of the Federal Prosecutor's Office and the presiding judge Hans Schlüter-Staats see no legal violation; the judge addresses Sten E. directly.
He reminds him how in those interrogations at that time he had made "very extensive" comments on the allegations made to him. He reminds him that he had positioned himself in the group and wanted nothing to do with weapons. Would not it be an advantage to hear such relieving statements now? Especially if he decided, probably on the advice of his lawyers, to remain silent in court?
How serious were the plans of "Revolution Chemnitz"?
Sten E. looks thoughtful. A man with an accurate crown, hands and neck tattooed, 29 years old, born in the Saxon Riesa, divorced, father of a son, his daughter died at the age of one and a half years. E. belongs to the violent football fan scene, he should have close contacts to Dresden, Magdeburg and Poland. Since 2007, he has been accused of serious assault, threat, theft and smuggling benefits and convicted. Several times he became violent towards his partner, who left him when he was imprisoned a year ago.
After lunch, a criminal chief commissioner of the Saxon State Criminal Police Office begins to describe the interrogations of Sten E. His interrogation ends late in Monday afternoon and will continue on Tuesday. It's about finding out: how serious were the plans of the alleged terrorist group "Revolution Chemnitz"? How violent were their members? Would they have had the potential to start a civil war?
Sten E., the violent neo-Nazi, stands out from the co-defendants: not as far as his criminal records and convictions are concerned - but through his willingness to provide information during police interrogations. Most have said nothing or only a little.
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According to the commissioner, Sten E. admitted to being a member of the "Planning for the Revolution" chat group, in which the defendants agreed on the messenger service Telegram. However, he had not read everything and did not understand everything that had been exchanged there. Remarks such as "Sounds good" or smileys he sometimes wrote out of ignorance.
"Mr. E. can do well and do not run away"
Why did suspected leader Christian K., called Keily, only take six people to chat? He may have selected only those whom he and co-defendant Marcel W. found "good enough" to "put into action a plan," said Sten E. He was believed to have been chosen for his role in supporting Keily's violence Fairground thrashing impressed. "Mr. E. can do well and does not run away", quoted the commissioner from the interrogation.
Where the "change of system" obviously was not planned with fist violence: In the chat was also written about weapons, who could get which. When asked why it was about arms procurement, Sten E said, "What are you supposed to aim for ... (... ...) No one buys a gun to put under their pillow, but murder. "
"That was too criminal for me because of the weapons"
He said it was "too colorful" from that point on, Sten E. said, "That was too criminal for me because of the weapons, and then I silenced the group."
Why was talked about weapons at all? "They wanted to move something, they were dissatisfied with the asylum policy and wanted a free Chemnitz." Why? "You do not want to be a stranger in your own country." And: "Foreigners should not be allowed to do what they want."
Test run on the castle pond
According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, a raid on September 14, 2018 served as a test run for the big punch: the defendants Sten E., Christian K., Martin H., Marcel W. and Sven W. are supposed to be following a demonstration of the "Pro Chemnitz" movement with another ten men in the castle pond people - including five Iranians and a Pakistani - intimidated, threatened and partially injured.
Sten E. admitted to the police that he was assaulting a group of youths on that attack with the others and screaming "like mental patients" and missing a juvenile with "two orders".
At the end of the questioning of the LKA official Sten Es defender repeats his concern of Monday: "I disagree with the utilization of the testimony of the witness." Sten E. sits between his lawyers and nods.
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