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Germany: Berlin 7 trial ends

01 November 1994

The trial of the Berlin 7 ended on 15 November (see Statewatch, vol 4 no 5). The trial arose out a clash in a Chinese restaurant in April 1992 when anti-fascists discovered members of the far-right Deutsche Liga/Die Nationalen meeting. In the confrontation the secretary of the far-right group, Gerhard Kaindl, sustained knife wounds and later died. The seven defendants were charged with "premeditated collective murder". This charge was dropped in October and the charges changed to taking part in an affray (a serious imprisonable offence).

Three weeks before the trial ended one of the seven, Abidin Ersalan, was cleared and released because the prosecution could not provide evidence that he took part (he had spent 342 days in the Moabit prison in Berlin). Three were sentenced to three years in prison, two youths were given two years suspended sentences and Erkan Sonmez, who is registered as mentally ill, remanded for reports.

The trial ended quickly after the withdrawal of the murder charge because after the withdrawal of two disputed statements from two of the defendants. The state prosecutor did not want the Berlin police Staatsschutz, who had taken the withdrawn statements, to give evidence, nor to have the role of the Verfassungsschutz (the internal security service) revealed.

The defence campaign thanked the people from over 10 countries who had written protesting to the judge and the international observers who attended the trial.

International Solidarity Group, Dieffenbachstrasse 33, D-10967 Berlin, Germany. Tel & fax: ++ 49 30 694 93 54.