last generation
Justice Minister Eisenreich rejects criticism of the raid
Bavaria’s Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich was informed about the proceedings against the last generation
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
The police action against the Last Generation environmental activists at the end of May caused a heated debate. However, the Minister of Justice of Bavaria, Georg Eisenreich, sees no reason for criticism – except in one specific matter.
At a meeting of the Bavarian state parliament’s interior committee on Wednesday, Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich dismissed any criticism of the controversial crackdown on members of the environmental activist group Last Generation. The minister vehemently denied the rumors and assumptions that the CSU-governed state government actively promoted the search operation in order to make a conscious statement.
Eisenreich emphasized: “The ministry has not issued any instructions regarding the investigations and has not had any other influence on the investigations.” However, he admitted that an official warning on a seized website was initially flawed.
Last month, about 170 officers combed homes and businesses in seven states in a raid against the Last Generation, according to the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office. The activists are suspected of forming or supporting a criminal organization. Despite this, the activists deny any criminal intent, although several members of the group have been convicted of criminal offences, some of them imprisonment. The raid was criticized by various quarters as excessive. The group itself complained that its members felt like they were being “treated with serious criminals,” but the search operation was also defended by many other quarters.
Eisenreich explained that a criminal complaint by a lawyer was the starting point for the investigation. There are now 13 criminal charges against members of the Last Generation. He stressed that the initial suspicions against individual members were confirmed by an independent court – the search warrant was also issued by an independent court.
While Eisenreich recognizes the importance of the fight for climate protection, he emphasizes that crimes committed in the name of climate protection cannot be tolerated in a constitutional state. He explains that “good intentions” do not justify crime.
Ministry of Justice and Georg Eisenreich found investigations “justifiable”
The Ministry of Justice was informed several times during the course of the proceedings, as is usual in such cases. There, however, it is only checked whether the procedure of the public prosecutor’s office is justifiable. In this case, the responsible department of the ministry came to the conclusion that this action was “justifiable”. However, only reports were exchanged and no agreements were made.
When asked whether other judges had refused such a measure before issuing the search warrant, Eisenreich could not give an immediate answer. However, he promised full transparency.
“The presumption of innocence applies, of course”
The shutdown of the group’s website with the notice “The Last Generation constitutes a criminal organization under Section 129 of the Criminal Code” was heavily criticized at the time. The authorities quickly had to backtrack and emphasize that so far there has only been an initial suspicion that it is a criminal organization.
Eisenreich acknowledged that the wording gave the wrong impression. The public criticism was therefore justified. He made it clear: “In the investigation, the presumption of innocence applies, of course, there is no doubt.”
Investigators assume a “conspiratorially operating structure”.
According to Eisenreich, the general public prosecutor’s office based its assumed initial suspicion on various factors: According to the investigators, the last generation should have “a professional, hierarchical and conspiratorial structure, with several hundred activists across Germany”. A “shaping goal” is to commit crimes in order to gain media attention. This is shown, for example, by the fact that when recruiting, activists who are willing to go to prison are explicitly sought, he said.
The investigators also pointed out that the numerous crimes posed a significant threat to public safety. Also part of the proceedings is an attempted attack on a key transalpine oil pipeline. Overall, the investigators are finding a “tendency to escalate,” said Eisenreich. The searches served to secure evidence and funds for the commission of crimes.
The last generation regularly organizes sit-ins and actions in museums to draw attention to the consequences of global warming. Their members often stick to streets or works of art – but they also hinder emergency vehicles. They are also accused of attacking oil industry facilities. With their protest, the last generation wants to denounce deficits in climate policy – especially with regard to the enormous climate-damaging emissions of car traffic.
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Interior Secretary Sandro Kirchner (CSU) was unable to comment on allegations by individuals outside of Bavaria that police officers had come to the searches with drawn weapons. In any case, no object was entered with a drawn firearm in Bavaria.