Germany: No "legal repercussions" in Israeli embassy killings?
01 September 1999
Despite the transmission of a police video in the television documentary series Kontraste on 27 May, the Berlin public prosecutor will not review the fatal shootings by Israeli security guards during the Kurdish embassy occupation in Berlin in February, according to a leaked Justice Administration Authority document. Four Kurds involved in the occupation were shot dead and 15 severely injured. Those killed, Sema Alp, Ahmet Acar, Mustafa Kurt and Sinan Karakus had been shot in the back, contradicting Israeli security guard claims to have acted in self-defence.
In an attempt to justify the killings Israeli embassy officials claimed that the embassy was stormed by around 200 Kurds, armed with axes and iron bars. However, shots were also fired from within the embassy at protestors outside who, the police video showed, were standing calmly with their backs towards the building, none of them attempting to enter. A police officer described what he saw:
"I could see, that the person who was standing inside [the embassy] immediately reloaded the gun without lowering it. He continued shooting with the new ammunition with a speed which could only be described as rapid, continuous fire."
The German magazine Der Spiegel, cited an Israeli security officer who confirmed that shots were fired at people standing outside the embassy. The public prosecution service was unable explain why the supporting video evidence was only released two months after the events. Israeli officials claimed that only one warning shot was fired outside. They rejected all criticism of their actions and declared that critical eyewitness reports from seven police officers were "plucked out of thin air".
In spite of the evidence contradicting the official Israeli version of events, inquiries are about to be abruptly concluded, according to the German Press Agency (dpa). The agency obtained a confidential report from the Berlin Justice Administrative Authority to the Federal Ministry of Justice which stated that the investigation should be concluded "without a renewed questioning of the security officers and without any legal repercussions". The Berliner Zeitung commented:
"Of course the shots from behind do not correspond to the classic self-defence situation. Because the Israelis have a diplomatic status however, a prosecution against them is out of the question. Without this protection, the Berlin public prosecutor, would have to lead a prosecution with charges ranging from bodily harm resulting in death up to murder."
The German prosecution service has taken legal actions against 88 Kurdish protesters, all of whom are threatened with deportation.
Junge Welt, 29.5.99; taz 31.5.99; Frankfurter Rundschau 31.5.99.