The student Lina E. is sentenced to five years in prison for attacks on right-wing extremists. The court ruled that a “respectable” motive does not justify violence. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old is released for the time being.
Very early on Wednesday morning it cannot be overlooked that the verdict against Lina E. will be a political symbol – and not just the answer to the question of whether a student was the head of a criminal organization that beat up real and alleged neo-Nazis. A police helicopter is circling above the branch office of the Higher Regional Court in the north of Dresden between the JVA and the recycling center, and the police cars are lined up in a long queue on the street in front of the dreary low-rise building. The controls are even more meticulous than on the 97 days of negotiations before. Bags are x-rayed, water bottles confiscated, shoes checked. In the auditorium, the number of supporters wearing sunglasses, hoods and FFP2 masks increased.