GERMANY: Government still refuses to disclose NPD informants
01 May 2002
In January the Federal Constitutional Court interrupted proceedings initiated by the German government and parliament to enforce a ban against the far-right Nationalsozialistische Partei Deutschlands (NPD) on grounds of violating the free democratic order of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). The plaintiffs had withheld the vital information that their witnesses were neo-nazis who had also worked for the Verfassungsschutz (VS - internal secret service) as informants (see Statewatch vol. 12 no. 1). The extent of the involvement of VS informants became evident because state money in the form of informants' wages was fed back into the party, many asked if the NPD was not effectively built up by the state.
The court has demanded clarification of VS involvement in the NPD, but the Interior Ministries of the Länder are still refusing to reveal the names of their informants, claiming they want to prevent the NPD finding out about informant activity. However, there have been reports that NPD informants usually inform the party cadre of their state contacts, and arrange what information is to be leaked. Informants' wages are given to the party. The court had given the plaintiffs until 31 July to disclose the number and identity of VS informants in the NPD.
Interior ministers from the federal government and the regional Länder have announced they will not disclose any names but have admitted that 30 of the 210 strong NPD cadre work with the VS. That implies that every seventh functionary is an informant. The explanatory paper given by the parliament and government to the court argued that it was not true that the NPD was steered through state organs (an accusation brought forward by many MPs) because the number of informants in the NPD leadership had not exceeded 15%.
The plaintiffs have ignored demands to draw up a new bill of indictment which excludes any evidence given by informants: the NPD manifesto in itself would suffice to prove the party's unconstitutional aims. Many believe the trial itself is being jeopardised through the governments lack of response to the court and argue that the only party to have gained from the scandal so far is the NPD itself. The fact that dozens of racist attacks, arson and even murders against asylum seekers and migrants have been carried out by VS informants seems to have been forgotten in the current debate.
On 8 October, the court will decide if the trial will go ahead.
Berliner Zeitung 11.7.02; Frankfurter Rundschau 15.7.02