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Threatening letter: Jan Böhmermann in the "NSU 2.0" trial against Alexander M.

2022-03-28T16:53:57.853Z


Who sent "NSU 2.0" threatening letters to Jan Böhmermann? In the trial against the alleged author, the TV presenter would like more competence in the judiciary to uncover the structures in the network.


Enlarge image

Alexander M. (left) in court in February: accused of attempted coercion, threats, insults and incitement to hatred

Photo: ARNE DEDERT / POOL / EPA

In the trial against Alexander M. at the Frankfurt am Main district court, there is an illustrious list of witnesses.

Invited are well-known personalities from politics, show business, journalism or the judiciary who have their own opinion - and make it public.

Anyone who doesn't share their attitude has to endure it.

This is what the German Basic Law provides.

Article 5 protects the freedom to freely express and disseminate opinions.

Someone obviously had problems enduring and wrote threatening letters, signed with the abbreviation "NSU 2.0", alluding to the right-wing extremist terrorist cell National Socialist Underground (NSU).

They were hateful letters, including death threats and addressee details known only to the police.

»completely confused«

One of those threatened is Jan Böhmermann.

The satirist takes a seat in Room 165 this Monday, to his left, just a few meters away, sits the alleged author of the threatening letter, accused of attempted coercion, threats, insults and hate speech: Alexander M., an unemployed IT technician from Berlin, 54 Years old, a failed existence with a supposed gift for manipulating and tricking strangers on the phone.

The public prosecutor assumes that M. called the police station, pretended to be a colleague and thus asked for the recipient's personal data.

M. rigorously denies the allegations.

He gives Jan Böhmermann furtive glances at first.

The TV presenter appears in a suit and tie and with a lawyer.

"Are you related or related by marriage to the accused?" Judge Corinna Distler asks, a question that is part of the standard questioning of witnesses.

"Unfortunately no," replied Böhmermann dryly.

The 41-year-old describes the threatening letters that reached him as "completely confused".

At the same time, the texts appear on the screen in the courtroom, addressed to the "spoilt Jan Böhmermann", threatened with death, signed "Heil Hitler", sender: the Führer.

more on the subject

  • Process for "NSU 2.0": Defendant threatens witnesses Deniz Yücel

  • Suspect in the "NSU 2.0" case: The hate story of Alexander Horst M.

  • "NSU 2.0" process: hate and its consequences Julia Jüttner reports from Frankfurt am Main

No »big fish«

Böhmermann sums it up as a "mixture of official language and vulgar insult" that would have moved him "no more than usual".

Hate comments were part of his job and have been with him for more than seven years, according to the satirist.

The security measures with which he lives are correspondingly high.

So far he has reported all threats to the police, but has also had to experience that any investigations "were not crowned with success".

In the "NSU 2.0" case, it was nice that a suspect had been identified, but that was not a "big fish".

It would be more productive to take action against the structures in the background.

Böhmermann knows his stuff.

Years ago, he and his team launched a counter-experiment and initiated “Reconquista Internet” to combat hate speech and right-wing extremist trolls.

Böhmermann submits further threatening emails that are similar in diction, style and content to those attributed to the accused.

Such threats come from people who anonymously unite in temporary networks on the Internet, collect data, share it and use it.

"It's not a single person who does it," says Böhmermann.

Law enforcement agencies would not have the analytical skills to uncover the structures.

The author of the "NSU 2.0" letter, says Böhmermann, has a "very limited, radical world view that he throws into a pot at 2:05 a.m., whether he is doing it himself or in a group work, and vents his frustration."

The "Nazi buzzwords" used by the sender are typical of such perpetrator structures.

The cases that are now being heard in court were determined with a lot of staff and effort, and even Russia was asked to help clarify the matter.

Böhmermann grins.

"You could have done that a size smaller."

"Under all sow"

Maybrit Illner also appears as a witness on this day of the hearing.

The journalist confirms that threatening emails were also part of her everyday work.

But those from the »NSU 2.0« would have had a »new quality«.

The sender reported superficial knowledge of everyday editorial work and precise information about the Hessian police.

Alexander M. also avoids looking at the witness stand during Illner's questioning.

He is a client who is difficult to tame for his defense attorneys Marcus Steffel and Ulrich Baumann, both experienced lawyers with decades of experience.

They could not stop him from speaking to the journalist Anja Reschke and verbally attacking her colleague Deniz Yücel.

On this day of the hearing, M. at least urgently wants to get rid of a statement when Jan Böhmermann's questioning is over.

It is true what the TV presenter says, explains Alexander M. In the chats in which he was wrong, the tone was "under all sow".

»There were escalations of insults on both sides.«

In the end he contradicts the use of the statement of an LKA official.

He had been in charge of the investigations until Ms was arrested.

During his interrogation in court, he seemed convinced that M. was the author of the accused crimes.

Source: spiegel

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