Closing statement by Eberhard Reinecke: including thoughts on the NSU’s communications strategy

Counsel Eberhard Reinecke continued his closing statement today. He began with a short rebuttal of the statement by counsel Kaplan of last week, detailing why questions of institutional racism etc. do in fact belong in the Munich trial and why those counsel who, when faced with requests by their clients, emphasize their standing as “independent members of the bar” often turn into “inactive members of the bar”.

Reinecke also referred in passing to the sister of Süleyman Taşköprü, who had written to the court in reaction to the bizarre reactionary statement by her counsel Wierig last week and had asked not to be represented by Wierig any longer. She felt that the statement was not in her interest and that she had been deceived by Wierig. Continue reading →

Further statements by victims’ counsel, above all on Zschäpe’s statements in court and on André and Susann Eminger.

Today Eberhard Reinecke, who represents several victims of the Keupstraße bombing attack, continued the closing statement his colleague Schön had begun yesterday. Sadly he was unable to finish his statement today as accused Wohlleben stated that he was suffering from headaches.

Reinecke first turned to the investigations concerning accused NSU supporters and voiced his fears that nothing will follow from these proceedings. Above all, he pointed to the many lying Nazi witnesses and used a few concrete examples to show how easy it would be to prove that they had perjured themselves. Continue reading →

Further closing statements on the Keupstraße and on the murder in Heilbronn

Today the court heard further closing statements by victims’ counsel on the murder of Michèle Kiesewetter and the attempted murder of her colleague Martin A. in Heilbronn.

Prior to those statement, Alexander Hoffmann concluded his statement begun last week on the ideology of the NSU and its network of supporters.

Hoffman showed that the many different political organizations, from the Jena division of the “Thuringia Homeguard”, whose members wore SA-like uniforms, to the prissy-seaming Nazi Party NPD, whose members were often called “side partings” based on their haircuts, and to Blood and Honours, whose members wore tattoes and considered themselves part of a subculture, were all united by a common ideology:

Continue reading →