Provokes the Greens: Ex-head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution Hans-Georg Maaßen. © Michael Reichel/dpa
Outrage before Day X: Hans-Georg Maaßen accuses the Greens of mishandling the Lina E. case and describes it as partly "extremist".
Berlin - Fuss about Lina E.: After the conviction of the neo-Nazi hunter, the case continues to cause heated debates. For example, former intelligence officer Hans-Georg Maassen has now accused the Greens of mishandling left-wing extremism. The Greens are "a partly extremist endeavor," wrote the controversial CDU politician on Friday (June 2) on the short message service Twitter, referring to an alleged expression of sympathy by the Green youth organization with the convicted offender. From the CDU, Maassen demanded a clear demarcation from the eco-party.
Dealing with Lina E.: Hans-Georg-Maaßen describes the Greens on Twitter as "extremist"
Even before Maaßen's attack on the Greens, the Lina E. case had caused a stir. After 100 days, the Higher Regional Court in Dresden ended the trial of the left-wing extremist on Wednesday (31 May) and presented a verdict. In it, the student was found guilty of committing several serious attacks on right-wing extremists. The judges sentenced her to five years and three months in prison. For the time being, however, the woman was released. For her three co-defendants, the State Security Chamber imposed prison sentences ranging from two years and five months to three years and three months.
Prison release for Lina E.
Lina E. had been in custody since 5 June 2020. Reason: risk of absconding. With the verdict, the arrest warrant was suspended for the time being and the student was released. Why? The reason is that the sentence to a substantial prison sentence of more than five years is not yet final. The defense has already announced the appeal. It may take another year and a half for a decision to be made in the second instance. This is considered disproportionate - and in the legal sense, Lina E. is considered innocent until then. The risk of escape has now been minimized by the fact that the student's passport has been revoked and she has to report to the police twice a week. She is not allowed to leave her place of residence without permission.
Trigger for Maassen criticism: Green politician Dzienus shows sympathy with Lina E.
The verdict against Lina E. sparked a controversy in German politics. While voices came from the CDU, SPD and FDP that emphasized that the political dispute does not justify every means and that there should be no vigilante justice in Germany, the chairman of the Green Youth, Timon Dzienus, posted a tweet in which he expressed his incomprehension about the verdict against Lina E.: "With a completely exaggerated trial based on questionable circumstantial evidence, Lina E. and other leftists are being dealt with with all severity. What nonsense - that's why #FreeLina!", the young politician had written.
For the tweet, Dzienus had received criticism in his own ranks. But that's not enough for Maaßen. He now called on his party to draw consequences. "I think it is necessary for the #CDU to decide that cooperation with extremist Greens will be rejected and coalitions will be banned," he was quoted as saying by the dpa news agency.
Party expulsion: CDU wants to get rid of ex-constitutional protector Maaßen
But it is unlikely that the Union will respond to Maaßen's demand. The former head of the constitution is controversial in his own party. A few months ago, the party's executive committee initiated an expulsion procedure against Maassen because he was accused of racist and anti-Semitic statements. Maaßen had used a language and expressed a body of thought that was "incompatible" with the Union, said Secretary General Mario Czaja at the time. But the process can drag on for a long time.
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Maaßen, a long-time CDU member, ran unsuccessfully as a direct candidate for the CDU in the 2021 federal election in Thuringia. He has no office and no functions in the party. Since the end of January, he has been the national chairman of the far-right Union of Values, which is not an official organization of the CDU, but in which numerous party members have joined forces. Maaßen has so far refused to voluntarily leave the party.
After verdict against Lina E.: Antifa calls for demonstrations in Leipzig, Hamburg and Berlin on day X
With his once again provocative statements about the Greens and the left-wing scene, Maassen could now have poured even more fire into the Lina E. case. At the weekend, the security authorities expect nationwide demonstrations and solidarity rallies for the convicted left-wing extremist. Antifa has been mobilizing throughout Europe for weeks on the so-called "Day X". It is expected that the planned demonstrations in Dresden, Hamburg or Berlin could also turn violent. A protest march in Leipzig has already been banned. However, a lawsuit against the cancellation is already underway. (jkf
)