The fact that the legally convicted right-wing terrorist Beate Zschäpe must testify as a witness before the NSU investigative committee of the state parliament is a consensus in the committee, which, among other things, examines the closeness of the NSU to the Bavarian neo-Nazi scene. Now there is a discussion as to whether Zschäpe should appear in person at the Maximilianeum – or testify via video link. According to reports, the committee initially tended to question the 48-year-old in the state parliament. However, considerable concerns were heard from a non-public meeting of the Council of Elders on Wednesday, including from Ilse Aigner (CSU), President of the State Parliament. For security reasons and because the security precautions would be associated with high costs, Zschäpe would be taken from Chemnitz Prison to Munich. And this despite the fact that it is not certain whether she is even prepared to answer the committee’s questions.
He was “definitely for an interrogation,” said Vice Committee Chairman Holger Dremel (CSU) on Wednesday when asked. But he was “open to examining and discussing other options so that everything is in balance”. Matthias Fischbach, for the FDP parliamentary group in the NSU committee, also does not want to take any security risks. However, Zschäpe is “the key person in the complex”, which is why it makes sense to question her “face-to-face if possible”. “Undertones that are lost in a video conference could be relevant,” said Fischbach, who “can imagine finding another solution.” During the conversation, it is evident that Zschäpe is not coming to Munich, but that the members of the sub-committee are going to Chemnitz.
Zschäpe is the sole survivor of the terrorist cell that, starting in 2001, roamed Germany murdering for years. She was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018. The Munich Higher Regional Court also determined the particular gravity of the guilt. Early release from prison after 15 years is almost impossible.