Nfter the verdict against Lina E., the main defendant is at large. On Wednesday, the Dresden Higher Regional Court sentenced Lina E. to five years and three months in prison in the trial against four left-wing extremists. Three men between the ages of 28 and 37 were also sentenced to several years in prison. After two and a half years in custody until the verdict becomes final, E. is released subject to conditions. The prison sentence has been suspended.
Immediately after the end of the trial, the student was picked up by her lawyer. She now has to report to the police twice a week – on Mondays and Thursdays – by 6 p.m. at the latest. She may change her place of residence only with the consent of the court.
The court considered it proven that the accused, in various compositions, were members of a criminal organization or supported it. Their goal was to hurt right-wing extremists and those they thought were so, so that they abandoned their position.
Riots in Bremen
Lina E. and two co-defendants were also convicted of serious bodily harm, and another defendant was convicted of aiding and abetting. In addition, property damage, theft, forgery and coercion, in which the accused were involved to varying degrees, were also included in the verdicts. In the verdict, which was accompanied at times by tumult, the presiding judge, Hans Schlueter-Staats, said that while it is honorable to fight against right-wing extremism. However, “for very good reasons” only the state has the monopoly on the use of force.
After the verdict, the left-wing extremist scene called for demonstrations in Dresden and Chemnitz. For Saturday, a nationwide “Tag X demo” was also mobilized in Leipzig. On a relevant website, it was announced that one million euros in property damage would be caused for every year of imprisonment. The police in Leipzig are preparing for a large-scale operation. Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) told the FAZ that the authorities expected the arrival of “very violent activists and extremists” from all over Germany. The verdict, in turn, sent a strong signal and showed that left-wing extremist violence would not be tolerated, said Schuster. The hearing also revealed that the convicts did not act alone. Investigations will continue and we are confident we can bring more criminals to justice.”
Meanwhile, there were riots in Bremen on Wednesday evening. Around 300 mostly masked people had gathered in the city center and attacked the emergency services “relatively quickly and suddenly”, said a police spokeswoman. Glass bottles and stones were thrown at the officers. According to the police, the riots in Bremen are related to the verdict against Lina E.
