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RAF member pardoned after 24 years in prison

01 November 2003

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On 10 December, Rolf Clemens Wagner, who was arrested on 19 November 1979 in Zurich, was released from prison. He was pardoned by the Bundespräsident Johannes Rau (head of the German state with representative functions and no party allegiance) and Peer Steinbrück (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SDP), Minister of the regional state North-Rhine Westphalia. Wagner, who was a member of the militant left-wing organisation Rote Armee Fraktion (Red Army Fraction) had been sentenced by German and Swiss authorities on several offences of attempted murder, murder, kidnapping and robbery. The murder charge related to the kidnapping and murder of the then president of the German employers' federation (Arbeitgeberpräsident) Hanns Martin Schleyer. It is the most controversial aspect of his conviction, as it could never be established who shot Schleyer, leaving Wagner's conviction for murder based on suspicion. Wagner is 59-years old and has served the longest prison sentence of all RAF prisoners so far. Remaining prisoners are Christian Klar (imprisoned since 1982), Brigitte Mohnhaupt (also imprisoned since 1982), Eva Haule (in prison since 1986) and Birgit Hogefeld (in prison since 1992). There is a campaign calling for the release of these prisoners. Information on the issue of political prisoners in Germany can be obtained from the legal support association Rote Hilfe e.V. (www.rote-hilfe.de).

Süddeutsche Zeitung 24.11.03, 4.12.03.

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