Many topics discussed, nothing of much relevance.

Today the court first heard a police officer who had conducted investigations concerning the mobile phone of André Eminger, which had been logged into cell towers close to the Frühlingsstraße apartment in the morning of 4 November 2011. However, his investigations did not disclose more than that fact, neither was he able to explain why it had only been reported into the case file now.

Zschäpes “old” counsel Heer, Stahl and Sturm read out a long statement on the letter sent by Zschäpe to a Neonazi from Dortmund (see the report of 14 September 2016), arguing that it may not be considered as evidence as it had become part of the case file illegally. This statement was joined not only by Wohlleben defense attorney Klemke, but also by Zschäpe’s further counsel Grasel, showing once more that the disputes within the Zschäpe defense are mostly over. It remains to be seen how the court will decide.

The court then read out and viewed several pieces of evidence showing the racist and violent character of the “Thuringia Home Guard” and the corresponding ideology of Ralf Wohlleben.
The Wohlleben defense made another attempt to question the chain of evidence concerning the Ceska murder weapon, moving that a police detective from Switzerland be heard as witness.

The federal prosecution presented its observations on victims’ counsels’ motion for evidence concerning the volume of the gun shots killing Halit Yozgat (see the report of 20 September 2016). Rather unsurprisingly, they moved that the motion be rejected. The prosecution seemed to be very irritated that the topic of Temme is once again being introduced into the trial.
At the end of the trial day, Zschäpe defense attorney Grasel tested the patience of the court. Having been asked by the presiding judge when the court’s further questions will be answered, he stated that he would not even be able to visit her in jail before early October. It seems possible that the court will cancel one or two of the trial days next week in order to receive these answers earlier.