No defense closing statements today – next try after Easter

Today’s trial session has been canceled due to illness of the accused Zschäpe.

The trial continues after the Easter break on Tuesday, 10 April 2018.

Defense closing statements to start tomorrow.

The trial day today began at 11:30 – rejecting the challenges for alleged bias brought by the Wohlleben defense took some time. The court then read into evidence some police reports on fake letter bombs sent out around New Year’s 1996/1997– by members of the “Comradeship Jena” according to the evidence. Our colleague Peer Stolle, in his closing statement, had referred to these and other crimes committed before 1998 to show that the accused and their “comrades” had already formed a criminal organization at that point, an organization which must be considered a precursor to the NSU.

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No trial on Tuesday, 20 March.

The trial day set for next Tuesday has been canceled “as a second challenge for alleged bias has been brought.”

The trial is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, 21 March 2018.

Wohlleben defense brings challenge for alleged bias – trial to continue Tuesday, 20 March 2018

As announced yesterday, the Wohlleben defense today brought a challenge against all members of the bench for alleged bias, based on the court’s decision rejecting their flimsy motion for evidence. This challenge will again be entirely unsuccessful, but as usual it will take some time for the court to deal with it. The presiding judge cancelled the trial day tomorrow and announced that the trial will continue next Tuesday, 20 March 2018. Whether this time will suffice, or whether additional trial days next week will also be canceled, remains to be seen.

Zschäpe defense counsel Heer, Stahl and Sturm, whose motion for release as assigned counsel had also been rejected yesterday, made no further comments on the issue today.

Defense motions rejected – defence announces challenge for alleged bias.

Today the court rejected all defense motion of last trial week. This includes the motion by Zschäpe defense counsel Heer, Stahl and Sturm to be relieved as assigned counsel, as well as the motion for evidence brought by the Wohlleben defense. In rejecting the latter, the court did not mince its words, finding that it had been brought “without any factual or argumentative basis” and aimed only at delaying the trial. The court also rejected another motion by the Wohlleben defense, announced last week and brought today, to incorporate certain files of the parliamentary inquiry commission in Baden-Württemberg into the case file.

The Wohlleben defense reacted by announcing a challenge against all judges for alleged bias and were given until 11:30 AM tomorrow to formulate that challenge. Accordingly, Zschäpe defense counsel Grasel and Borchert will not begin their closing statements tomorrow, the court will instead interrupt the trial until next week in order to decide on the challenge.

Trial will continue on 13 March

Today the court has canceled the trial day on Thursday. This likely means that it will reject the motion for evidence brought by the Wohlleben defense. The trial continues on Tuesday, 13 March.