German Court of Last Resort Opens Main Proceedings in NSU Case
In a move responding to an immediate appeal by the Federal Public Prosecutor, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) has initiated the main trial of another accused in the NSU complex. The court’s third criminal division, responsible for state security-related cases, took this step after the Federal Public Prosecutor lodged an appeal against the Dresden Higher Regional Court’s decision to limit the main trial to a charge of aiding and abetting a particularly serious armed robbery.
The accused is suspected of supporting the terrorist organization NSU in three instances. Initially, the Dresden Higher Regional Court had only opened the main trial on the charge of aiding and abetting a particularly serious armed robbery. The Federal Public Prosecutor then filed an appeal against this decision, leading the Federal Court of Justice to allow the trial to proceed in its entirety.
The accused is suspected of providing a health insurance card for Beate Z., a person already convicted and now a convicted felon, to enable medical treatments under a false identity. Additionally, the accused, along with their spouse, is believed to have procured train cards for NSU members.
The criminal division of the Dresden Higher Regional Court will next schedule a main trial (Decision of April 16, 2025, StB 69/24).