Mundlos senior – desparate denials.

This week’s trial days will focus on the father of Uwe Mundlos. Additionally, the old lady who was present in the house in the Frühlingsstraße when Zschäpe set fire to that house will testify via video-link. The court had originally planned to continue the testimony, started on 22 November, of “Thüringer Heimatschutz”-activist André Kapke, one of the closest confidants of Zschäpe, Mundlos, Böhnhardt, Gerlach and Wohlleben. His testimony has now been pushed to next year.

The questioning of Dr. Mundlos, who had last testified in the parliamentary enquiry in Thuringia, by the court proved very difficult. Early on he clashed quite severely with presiding judge Götzl who wanted him to answer questions, but refrain from monologues. This scene ends with the witness stopping himself just short of calling the presiding judge a “smart ass”.

Mundlos senior desparately tried to deny any guilt or responsibility on the part of his son or his family, claiming that it was only contact with secret service informers and Uwe Böhnhardt which pushed him towards the right and that he had tried all he could to get his son to change his ways. He also claimed that prosecutors had unjustly conducted investigations against “the Three”, which led to their going underground. The same applies for events following their going underground – according to the witness, responsibility lies primarily with state organs. Several times he calls upon the federal prosecutor to make the acts of state organs subject of the proceedings.

After Mundlos senior had stated towards the NSU’s victims that he was interested in “the whole thing” being illuminated and that “the German people” had a right to a full investigation, the presiding judge, quite exasperated at that point, ended his questioning for the day, to be continued tomorrow.