Process against 24-year-olds: judgment in the fall of the peace.

Process against 24-year-olds: judgment in the fall of the peace.

background to the process of the violent protests against the Eritrea Festival

This morning the trial against a 24-year-old defendant will continue before the district court in Gießen, who is said to have participated in the violent protests against the controversial Eritrea Festival. The young man is accused of a serious breach of the peace, assault on enforcement officers and dangerous bodily harm. The process is the first step in the legal processing of events in Gießen a year ago.

The riots on the sidelines of the festival in July 2023 led to a total of 26 police officers. The conflict arose from the perspective of Eritreischer opponents of the festival, which the participants saw as supporters of the dictatorial regime in their home country. They attacked the officers with stones, bottles and smoke bombs to storm the festival site.

As a result of the events, the public prosecutor's office in Gießen recorded around 650 investigations, so far about 50 charges and criminal commands have been issued. Some procedures are still pending, others have been hired or led to the issuing of arrest warrants and searches.

meaning of the case for the community

The persistent legal measures against the participants in the protests illustrate the importance of the rule of law and the protection against violent riots. The process serves not only the individual responsibility of the accused, but also to maintain public peace and security in Gießen.

- Nag