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Paragraph 129 is the most recent form in the history of state persecution of freedom of speech in Germany. What began in 1822 as a “state protection law” and was directed against the bourgeois revolution in Germany, was later used against democrats and socialists who wanted to create publicity for the Paris revolution in 1871. In the 200 years of history, the name changed, but the content always remained the same: anyone who opposes the status quo will be punished for it. Paragraph 129 StGB was used massively in Nazi Germany between 1933-1945 and all regime critics, opposition members and resisters were charged under this paragraph. When Nazi Germany was defeated, West Germany reviewed the penal code in 1951 in the course of the so-called “denazification”. Paragraph 129 was also to be deleted from the code. But West Germany, where 80% of judges also served as judges in the Nazi regime, kept Paragraph 129 in the code to prevent “Nazis from gaining strength again.” However, in 71 years since that decision, Nazis have rarely been tried. Instead, mainly anti-fascists, democrats, and socialists are the ones, who have been tried.
These paragraphs are applied today against Özgül Emre, Ihsan Cibelik (Grup Yorum member) and Serkan Küpeli. The usage of the law is only possible with the instructions of the Federal Ministry of Justice to Judiciary, which is an immense interference in the democratic separation of powers. Such interefences have no place in a democracy. Paragraph 129 is an attack on rights and freedoms, as well as on the right to resist. THUS IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN LEGAL INJUSTICE! Even if today it is mainly socialists from Turkey and Kurdistan who are the targets of these attacks, Section 129 is historically an attack on all democrats in Germany. IT MUST THEREFORE BE ERASED FROM THE LEGAL CODE WITHOUT EXCEPTION! This is in the interest of all people in Germany, especially all democrats and socialists. For this we, as anti-fascists, form an alliance. We will be a unity against the state repression and criminalization of antifascists. We will not allow our democratic rights to be taken away from us.
Within the campaign “Away with Nazi paragraph 129” we will fight for all antifascist prisoners in Germany who are sentenced with paragraph 129a or 129b. Our intermediate goal is that the trial of the prisoners currently arrested in May, Özgül Emre, Ihsan Cibelik and Serkan Küpeli will continue at large. This will be a great victory of the campaign.
We will take to the streets for this. We will carry our demands to the public with posters, stickers and flyers etc.. We will organize rallies, marches and events like a podium. We will collect signatures for the abolition of the paragraphs 129, 129a and 129b StGB.
We will also collect guarantees for Özgül Emre, Ihsan Cibelik and Serkan Küpeli to end their pre-trial detention. We will get anti-fascist, democratic deputies to show solidarity for the prisoners and bring the contradictions of the laws to the public.
The campaign will be continued in the framework of “Freedom for all antifascist prisoners arrested with §129 and away with paragraph 129a/b”. Our work within the alliance will be mainly focused only on these demands.
We know very well that if we do not stand up today against the arbitrariness of paragraph 129 and do not organize ourselves, we will be next.
We believe in our strength and we are firmly convinced that with the strength of internationalism we can free our comrades from the prisons and banish the feudal fascist paragraph 129 into history once and for all.
BECAUSE INTERNATIONALISM IS THE BROTHERHOOD OF PEOPLES! IT IS THE STRONGEST WEAPON AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND FASCISM!
We did it before and we can do it again today.
THE NAZIPARAGRAPHS 129,129A AND 129B StGB SHOULD BE ABOLISHED!
FREEDOM FOR ÖZGÜL EMRE, IHSAN CIBELIK AND SERKAN KÜPELI!
FREEDOM FOR ALL ANTIFASCIST PRISONERS IN GERMANY AND WORLDWIDE!
BEING REVOLUTIONARY IS NOT A CRIME BUT A DUTY!
STOP THE CRIMINALIZATION OF ANTIFASCISTS IN GERMANY AND WORLDWIDE!