The Bundestag has lifted the immunity of AfD member of the Bundestag Petr Bystron. As a ZEIT ONLINE reporter reported, Bystron’s Bundestag office was searched by police and investigators. Two filled moving boxes were secured. The search ended around 1:30 p.m.
A spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group leadership had already confirmed the police measure in the Bundestag to ZEIT ONLINE. The search took place on the fifth floor of the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus. During the operation, Bystron’s office was shielded by several police officers, including members of the Bundestag police.
The search measures had previously been approved by the Bundestag in a vote. The AfD parliamentary group abstained.
Bystron is said to have had connections to a pro-Russian network
In a report from the Czech newspaper Denik N Bystron was with the pro-Russian network at the beginning of April Voice of Europe (VoE) has been associated. Accordingly, he is suspected of being involved VoE to have been in contact and possibly also to have accepted payments from Russia.
The allegations against Bystron are said to be substantiated by audio recordings from the Czech secret service. You can hear Bystron counting banknotes. The AfD party leadership backed the MP in a joint statement in April.
Eleven prosecutors and 60 police officers on duty
Due to the bribery allegations, the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office had already initiated a so-called preliminary investigation in April. The public prosecutor’s office has now announced, without naming anyone, that an investigation has been initiated against an AfD MP due to initial suspicions of bribery and money laundering. As part of this, several properties are currently being searched.
According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, searches were carried out on Thursday in Bystron’s parliamentary office in Berlin as well as in several locations in the Bavarian districts of Munich, Erding and Deggendorf as well as on Mallorca planned. Eleven public prosecutors and around 60 police officers from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office are on duty.
There were also searches of witnesses who are not considered defendants in the proceedings, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office. The aim is in particular to secure documents and data carriers in order to search them for evidence.
AfD criticizes search measures
MPs of the AfD described the actions of the investigative authorities as being specifically directed against the AfD. The measures were aimed at specifically damaging the AfD’s election campaign, said Bundestag member Martin Sichert ZEIT ONLINE.
Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, chairmen of the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, called the lifting of immunity and the searches of Bystron’s office and private rooms a “serious process”. So far, no evidence has been provided for the allegations against him, according to a letter from the party leadership. “The AfD parliamentary group therefore hopes that the investigation will be concluded quickly so that there is no suspicion that authorities and public prosecutors are trying to influence the European election campaign.”
The Bundestag has lifted the immunity of AfD member of the Bundestag Petr Bystron. As a ZEIT ONLINE reporter reported, Bystron’s Bundestag office was searched by police and investigators. Two filled moving boxes were secured. The search ended around 1:30 p.m.
A spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group leadership had already confirmed the police measure in the Bundestag to ZEIT ONLINE. The search took place on the fifth floor of the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus. During the operation, Bystron’s office was shielded by several police officers, including members of the Bundestag police.