War criminals in Germany: justice or hiding play?

War criminals in Germany: justice or hiding play?

Berlin, Deutschland - The question of whether Germany is a safe port for war criminals concerns not only lawyers, but also the society concerned. In the new series "Amnestie Germany" on WDR 5, moderated by Azadê Peşmen, this explosive topic is deepened. The five -part series illuminates cases of war criminals who live in Germany despite their atrocities and thus raise the question of how far the pursuit of justice can reach. Especially dealing with Colonel Anwar Raslan, a former secret service from Syria, gives an intimidating insight into what seems possible in Germany. A refugee recognized him in Berlin and confronted him with his crimes, which were subject in the Koblenz trial. The question of justice for the victims is repeatedly re -rolled up. [WDR] reports, like Luis Kyburg, an Argentine military commander, lived in Berlin undisturbed, although he is sought against humanity for crimes. Why isn't he delivered to Argentina?

One of the most common excuses for inactivity is the faulty functioning of international laws. The Bundestag recognized the Holodomor, a genocide that cost up to seven million Ukrainians in the 1930s as "murder through hunger". This sends a strong political sign, but is linked to the fact that the processing of such mass power can take decades. [Deutschlandfunk] emphasizes that the legal definition of genocide, which was characterized by Raphael Lemkin in 1944 and was recorded in the UN Genocide Convention of 1948, is of both legal and political importance. This convention is a reaction to the atrocities of the National Socialists and excludes immunity for heads of state, which is of central relevance for the persecution of war criminals in Germany.

genocide and justice

But what actually defines a genocide? According to the UN genocide convention, it is killings, the addition of serious suffering or the targeted causing living conditions that aim to destroy a group. [Convention on the Völkermurmord] speaks in this context of actions that are committed to national, ethnic, racial or religious groups. This definition ensures that the intent to destroy is already considered to be genocide, regardless of how many members were actually killed.

also reveals the look into the past that the pursuit of justice often stalls. In the last episode of "Amnestie Germany", the 1993 Sivas attack is discussed, in which Islamists found a hotel in which Alevi festival participants stayed. Some of the perpetrators still live in Germany decades later. Why doesn't the world law principle apply here? These questions swing through the entire series and show that it is much more than legal attributions. Ultimately, it is a social task to process both the past and to answer the soft questions of humanity.

Life with such unresolved questions not only demands legal processing, but also a social rethink. In view of the historical load, the path to justice may be stony, but it inevitably leads to education and critical arguments. Let us be surprised which developments will shape both the legal framework and our social awareness in the coming months.