Update March 16th: Yesterday’s trial of Hambi4 has been even less transparent than usual, with defense being very limited in access to “evidence”. The UP2 (prison and correspondence name: Foot) who for last 2 months has been kept in isolation from other prisoners has been kept in prison while others have been released. Keeping one person, or a group on the same charges while releasing others is a classic repression tactic, let’s respond then with more unity and solidarity and unity by focusing prison support and letter writing on supporting Foot. One is too many! Over 30 people blocked the courtroom and police transport vans yesterday demanding to be able to talk to UP2 before being taken to jail and only unblocked when it was agreed to.
We wish the “unknown person 2” all the best and hope to see them soon in freedom and in the #HambacherForst again.
The order of the tweets below is chronological: the oldest ones are on top because that’s what happened when copying from Twitter, but also because today’s events are complete. The last ones (see below) are:
7:25 pm Departure of U2 with the police sirens wailing.
7:30 pm Everyone goes home – except for UP2.
#FreeHambi4 #politicalprisoners #EndCoal #ClimateJustice
Press: KStA (in German)
See also Hambi4 Trial on March 15 on this blog.
Presiding judge: Prezell.
2:00 pm Admission checks are ongoing. UP 1 and 3 are brought in handcuffs (!).
2:13 pm The defendants are brought away again.
2:20 pm Beginning of trial delayed. Talk with lawyer.
2:30 pm All 4 are inside. Courtroom is full. Many would like to be let in. Judge present.
2:34 pm Door is closed, the rest must stay outside.
2:36 pm Discussion about the absence of the habeas corpus (no review of remand took place) with UP2 outside the courtroom.
3:00 pm Second try. It starts again. Renewed application. The press can see the documents on the defense table. Wild place exchanges to the amusement of the public. Judge already annoyed.
3:05 pm Complaint about non-establishment of openness is ignored. Thus the trial is invalid, according to lawyer Mertens. Witnesses enter. Swearing. Dwarf singing outside. Inside laughter. Reprimand by the judge. If necessary, the room will be vacated.
3:11 pm Complaint about non-establishment of openness by means of identity card control. Is dismissed.
3:14 pm Request for suspension of proceedings for lack of access to the file.
3:16 pm The file has grown from 157 to over 400 sheets. Client conversation disturbed several times.
3:22 pm Doubts about the court’s impartiality by attorney Hatle of UP2.
3:25 pm Access to file too short, inadequate outside their law office. Prosecutor Schützeberg believes that the relevant facts were available. So preparation of a bias application should be rejected.
Mertens disputes which files are relevant. Hatle wants to be able to check that himself.
3:32 pm Basic rights incision concerning UP 2. From the legal point of view, the case would be already instances further. Attorney Geist (UP1) agrees.
3:35 pm Judge agrees and tends to suspension. Separation of the proceeding and further imprisonment for UP2? Follow-up within 3 weeks. Then the arrest warrants for UPs 1, 3 and 11 would be rescinded.
3:40 pm Proposal: separation to the juvenile court. Complaint attorney UP3. Too many errors. UP3 Hatle against continued detention.
3:42 pm Mistakes made by the judiciary must not be charged to the defendant. Mertens: UP2 had both hands in the tube. How could he have used the knife?
3:46 pm Arrest warrants against UP 1, 3 and 11 are suspended. UP 1 and 3 will continue before juvenile court. New date is searched. Witness, who pretends to have found a knife, is not summoned today. Also UP2 should come out today!
3:52 pm Break due to appointment calendar of Mertens. Pretzell narrowly avoided a bias. Still exciting what will happen to UP2. Continuation date March 29th.
3:56 pm Witnesses are dismissed unheard.
4:00 pm UP2 is led out. The others are free. Court suit is terminated.
4:15 pm Sitting blockade before bringing away of UP2. Car can not leave.
4:30 pm 60 people are singing at the back door of the court, 15 sitting in the gateway.
4:59 pm Your repression does not get out of the gateway!!!!
Transport of UP2 from the court in Kerpen back to jail in Cologne blocked.
6:00 pm Light drizzle. The blockade stands / sits unchanged.
7:00 pm 11 police vans at the main entrance. Offer for 1-2 people to talk with UP2.
7:20 pm UP2 was visited, blockade now dissolved itself.
7:25 pm Departure of U2 with the police sirens wailing.
7:30 pm Everyone goes home – except for UP2.