Berlin, Germany – Germany is being accused of silencing pro-palestinian voices, after having ordered the deportations of three European citizens and a citizen of the United States for their alleged actions in demonstrations.
None have been convicted or any crime.
Critics said the decision is another chapter of German concern with the pro-Palestinian movement. Since the war in Gaza begged in October 2023, tensions have accumulated as officials have moved to prohibit protests and channel events, while cultural institutions have distanced artists who create awareness about the Palestinian cause.
This is what you should know:
What is happening?
The four activists received initial letters in the position in January informing them that they had lost the right to freedom of movement.
Two months later, their lawyers receive letters from the migration authority of the state of Berlin on behalf of their clients in which they said they were before April 21 or that they are eliminated.
The activists are: Cooper Longbottom, a 27 -year -old American citizen and university student, and Cultural Workers Kasia Wlaszczyk, a 35 -year -old Polish citizen; Shane O’Brien, 29; and Roberta Murray, 31. O’Brien and Murray are Irish citizens.
The four supposedly participated in a sitting at the Free University of Berlin.
On Friday in an emergency court order, the administrative court of the State of Berlin ruled that O’Brien can remain until a complete hearing is a hero. The temporal measure is provisional when a court or legal authority acts to protect someone’s rights or interests, while a case is still decided.
The court said that the immigration authority did not “fully fulfill its official duty” by deciding to withdraw their rights of freedom of movement from the European Union, according to the Irish Times.
What are the accused activists or?
In a police report seen by Al Jazeera, incidents are listed as of October last year. The German authorities said that activists have extended “hate and anti -Semitic incitation”, as well as “antiisraeli hatred.”
The four are accused of criminal acts, such as resisting trial, property damage and disturbing peace.
The document also refers to insulting comments, claiming that some of the activists called a “fascist” police officer. In Germany, insulting someone is classified as an offense of defamation of honor and may be subject to legal punishment. Two were initially accused of this. One, O’Brien, has been acquired since then.
In a proven statement to Al Jazeera, the Berlin Senate Department for the interior and the sport referred to an incident in question.
“A group of masked people willing to use violence, it made its way into a university building. This led to significant property inside the building, including Graffiti’s relationship with the conflict of Israel-Palestine, as well as us, since no more details can be provided due to data protection regulations,” he said.
The intersection first broke the story, causing a round of condemnation towards Germany of critics.
How have activists responded to the statements?
The legal team of activists argued that charges are being used as a pretext to suppress the political discourse and rights of the Assembly, partly on Palestine.
“The decisions to deport our clients do not have a valid legal basis,” said lawyer Benjamin Dusberg, a member of the legal team of five people who represents activists. “This purely political justification is not in any way compatible with the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. A word that our clients protested against genocide in Gaza and their deliveries of weapons Herman is not mentioned.”
Wlaszczyk said the accusations are unfounded.
“I refuse to participate in dishonest accusations of anti-Semitism and fall into the trap of defending Myelf against this serious abuse of the term that the police, journalists and the State calm and criminalize the pro-paletine.” “For now, we all know that accusations of anti -Semitism have turned the German state into an authoritarian dog whistle and a racist tool that is predominantly directed to the Palestinian and Arab communities in Germany.”
What is the context of the case? Why is it important?
Deportation orders were issued when Germany faces accusations of a broader national repression against pro-Palestinian activism.
These accusations have cultivated Israel’s last war against Gaza, but have persecuted Germany even before October 2023.
Since the incursion led by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 were captive tasks, Israel has killed more than 50,983 people in Gaza.
In a statement, the four activists painted a gloomy image of Berlin in the last 18 months.
“Unbridled and unbridled police violence goes hand in hand with this repressive use of the Immigration Law to silence pro-palestinian voices and political dissent. The arbitrary arrests made in the protests, combined with false charges, are used as pretexts to justify extrajudicial deportation measures, avoid any notion of the independent judicial process and the government of the law,” they said.
In recent years, Berlin authorities have prohibited pro-palestinian manifestations and national symbols associated with Palestinian identity.
Germany said the protests have been prohibited due to Conerns about the potential for hate speech. The administrative courts have said that they represent an “imminent danger to public security and order.”
Berlin has given schools a green light to prohibit the use of Keffiyeh Palestinian scarves on the argument that they can threaten the “school peace.”
In addition, singing slogans such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has prohibited the bone in certain contexts because it is considered to deny Israel’s right to exist. In August, a protester, beyond around $ 650, was above the song, that the German interior minister, Nancy Faeser, described as a pro-hama slogan.
Cultural institutions have lost public funds on ties with pro-palestine defense, raising conerns on artistic freedom and political repression in the country.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on November 8, 2023 asked the Arab communities in Germany to distance themselves from Hamas, a comment that saw him accused of discrimination.
In addition, according to the amendments to the laws of citizenship of Germany, applicants seeking naturalization must affirm the right of Israel to exist.
Is Germany Pro-Israel?
In the case of activists, the German authorities have cited the principle of “State Breedon”, or Realson of State, as a basic for deportation orders.
Israel’s security is seen by Germany as its reason for the State, given the role of Nazi Germany to systematically murder six million Jews who last the holocaust.
“The immigration authorities themselves considered that deportation decisions were illegal since none of our clients had a criminal record. But then they were told to do the Berlin Senate,” Diesberg said.
Internal emails reviewed by Al Jazeera confirm that the employees of the Federal Office Challenged the legality of the deportation application of the Senate of Berlin, But their objections were not successful.
“In the reasons for decisions, direct reference is made in the police report to the so -called Staatsrason. According to this report, our clients have acted in conflict with the state state reference,” Dusberg added.
While it is not codified by law, Staatsrason has shaped public discourse as a guide state doctrine. The observers argued Foster’s censorship, facing democratic values such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly against the unwavering solidarity of Germany with Israel.
In March of last year, the head of the Berlin Office of the Financial Times, Guy Chazan, wrote: “Any criticism of Israel is now seen by some people in power as anti -Semites. It is an approach that Typy is in knots, which hires glamorous and indedminator of glamoros and without doubt without doubt.
In addition to the controversy surrounding Berlin’s foreign policy such as Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, he continues incessantly, Friedrich Merz, the probable next German chancellor, recently invited Israeli cousins Courin Netjamin Netjamin Netjaminyah, Israeli leader of high war crimes.
