G20 verdict: Withdrawal of accreditation for journalists was unlawful

The Federal Government has wrongfully deprived two journalists of their accreditations for the Hamburg G20 summit in 2017. The Berlin administrative court was right in his judgment the two media makers. The Federal Press Office initially issued journalists with personalized accreditation cards. Immediately before the summit, however, there had been serious riots in Hamburg, whereupon the Federal Press Office deprived the plaintiffs of their ID cards.

Legally, the withdrawal of accreditations was a "revocation of favorable legal acts". The verdict stated that the legal requirements had not been met.

The Federal Press Office had justified the decision at that time with the fact that the riots and new intelligence findings on four other already accredited journalists would have necessitated a reassessment of the security situation. However, the two journalists complained that there was no specific danger to them. In addition, the Federal Press Office could, in their view, have resorted to a more lenient means, such as the accompaniment during the summit.

The Administrative Court upheld the plaintiffs in so far as it did not disclose any "subsequently occurred facts" which "justified the Federal Press Office not to issue the accreditation".

Success for #press freedom! The withdrawal of #Accreditation for photographers at the # G20 summit was unlawful: https: //t.co/9n4WLPp3hL #Democracy

The union Ver.di welcomed the decision of the court as "an important success for the press freedom". However, even after the judgment remains the question of why journalists were classified in databases of security agencies as a security risk, "although they pursued only their constitutionally protected journalistic work".

According to court reports, this was the first time that lawsuits were being heard on the subsequently withdrawn accreditation at the G20 summit. In total, the Administrative Court, which is responsible for the seat of the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government, has filed nine complaints.

Against the decision of the court of Wednesday, application for admission of the appeal to the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg can be made.