Harry Flash
July 30th, 2005, 01:47 AM
Germany's highest criminal court cleared three men convicted of praising Hitler's elite SS soldiers on Thursday in a ruling that shocked leading politicians and the nation's main Jewish group.
The three, members of a far right group called the Karlsruhe Comradeship, had set up a telephone hotline advising fellow activists of when marches would take place. Their messages ended with the words "Glory and Honor of the Waffen-SS."
A lower court fined the men and gave them suspended prison sentences in October 2004 for using slogans of unconstitutional groups.
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However, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that the words in question had not actually been used by any Nazi body, nor were they similar to any slogans of the time.
"One could find the ruling unfortunate," said presiding judge Klaus Tolksdorf, adding that the convicted men's actions did not amount to a crime. "In Germany, glorification of Nazi organizations is not punishable."
The judges ruled it would be a crime to use words that were the same as or similar to actual Nazi slogans.
Paul Spiegel, president of Germany's Central Council of Jews, said he was astonished by the ruling and urged politicians to check if there was a hole in the law that needed closing.
"I find the verdict unbelievable and cannot understand the reasoning … particularly if you consider that the Waffen-SS was a synonym for murder and cruelty," he told Reuters.
Wolfgang Thierse, president of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, said he was shocked by the ruling, adding it appeared to give a green light to neo-Nazi propaganda.
The lower court had decided that the telephone message's farewell was sufficiently similar to the Waffen-SS's "My honor is trust" or the Hitler Youth's "Blood and honor."
Germany bans the display of Nazi symbols, such as the swastika, and outlaws certain of their rituals, such as the stiff-arm salute.
The SS (Protection Corps) began as a protection unit for Nazi leaders and grew to incorporate the Waffen-SS (Armed SS), a combat force of many divisions with almost one million men during World War II
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=986057
The three, members of a far right group called the Karlsruhe Comradeship, had set up a telephone hotline advising fellow activists of when marches would take place. Their messages ended with the words "Glory and Honor of the Waffen-SS."
A lower court fined the men and gave them suspended prison sentences in October 2004 for using slogans of unconstitutional groups.
U.K. Police Nab Remaining Blast Suspects
London Blasts: Full Coverage
Chechen Guerrilla Leader Calls Russians 'Terrorists'
However, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that the words in question had not actually been used by any Nazi body, nor were they similar to any slogans of the time.
"One could find the ruling unfortunate," said presiding judge Klaus Tolksdorf, adding that the convicted men's actions did not amount to a crime. "In Germany, glorification of Nazi organizations is not punishable."
The judges ruled it would be a crime to use words that were the same as or similar to actual Nazi slogans.
Paul Spiegel, president of Germany's Central Council of Jews, said he was astonished by the ruling and urged politicians to check if there was a hole in the law that needed closing.
"I find the verdict unbelievable and cannot understand the reasoning … particularly if you consider that the Waffen-SS was a synonym for murder and cruelty," he told Reuters.
Wolfgang Thierse, president of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, said he was shocked by the ruling, adding it appeared to give a green light to neo-Nazi propaganda.
The lower court had decided that the telephone message's farewell was sufficiently similar to the Waffen-SS's "My honor is trust" or the Hitler Youth's "Blood and honor."
Germany bans the display of Nazi symbols, such as the swastika, and outlaws certain of their rituals, such as the stiff-arm salute.
The SS (Protection Corps) began as a protection unit for Nazi leaders and grew to incorporate the Waffen-SS (Armed SS), a combat force of many divisions with almost one million men during World War II
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=986057