Status: 09.12.2022 2:30 p.m
The large-scale raid against alleged “Reich citizens” and possible consequences will also occupy the Bundestag. The Greens are calling for a current hour, the Union faction needs clarification in the legal committee.
In the coming week, the Bundestag will hold several special sessions to deal with the large-scale raid against suspected “Reich citizens”. At the request of the Union faction, the case is to be discussed on Monday both in the internal committee and in the legal committee.
“According to current knowledge, the unmasked terrorist network has prepared targeted attacks on the German Bundestag and thus the heart of democracy,” said the parliamentary director of the Greens parliamentary group, Irene Mihalic. The Bundestag should therefore soon deal with “the threat to democracy posed by networks of Reich citizens and other right-wing extremists”. Not only does the ongoing investigation have to be discussed, but also the political consequences, security policy measures and the need for action by society.
The Greens are also pushing for the group’s plans, which have now been uncovered, to be discussed in a current session in the plenary session of the Bundestag. “The traffic light partners will decide on the current hour in their parliamentary groups at the beginning of the week,” announced Mihalic.
Union: “Punctured investigation internals”
The Union faction in the Bundestag also has a need to speak with a view to passing on information before the raid. She wants to clarify in the legal committee whether details of the investigation have been forwarded to media representatives beforehand. “Punctured investigation internals endanger the investigations and damage the rule of law,” said the legal policy spokesman for the parliamentary group, Günter Krings, the news portal t-online. “If media representatives were informed in advance of the search measures and arrests carried out, this must be investigated and clarified.”
A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said: “Operations like the one that took place there are always associated with a possible threat to the emergency services.” Forwarding information about this in advance is “irresponsible”.
Report on “Enemy List”
The “tageszeitung” meanwhile reports on an “enemy list” that had already been secured before the raid. There are several politicians and other celebrities on this list – such as Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), SPD leader Saskia Esken, SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert and former CDU leader Armin Laschet. Kühnert confirmed to the Reuters news agency that his name was on a list found at “Reichsbürger”. The Federal Criminal Police Office informed him.
The current CDU leader Friedrich Merz is also on the list, the “taz” reported, citing information from security circles. Also listed are three well-known television presenters from public broadcasters.
Large-scale operation in eleven federal states
On Wednesday, the federal prosecutor had 25 people arrested in one of the largest police operations in the history of the Federal Republic in eleven federal states as well as in Italy and Austria. She accuses 22 of them of being a member of a terrorist organization that wanted to overthrow the political system. The other three are about support. The federal prosecutor also spoke of 27 other suspects.
“Reich citizens” are people who do not recognize the Federal Republic and its democratic structures.