World Harms National Integrity

In a series of events that have caused controversy and raised questions about the Verden Public Prosecutor's Office, it has been alleged that the office attempted to escalate a minor traffic disturbance, sanctioned by the right to demonstrate, into a crime punishable by imprisonment using misinterpreted laws.

The misinterpreted laws, which have since been criticised for harming the state's reputation, were related to individuals who demonstrated for climate-friendly politics and a transport transition. However, these charges lacked a legal basis for imprisonment.

The overload of the prosecution authority in Verden, which led to the transfer of 1,200 cases to the Celle district prosecution authorities in early summer, suggests a lack of competence in handling cases efficiently. This overload has been a recurring issue, with juristic laypeople successfully dismissing a charge that was being pursued by the Verden public prosecutor's office for three years.

The demand for imprisonment of the individuals who demonstrated for climate-friendly politics and a transport transition was a politically prominent demand at the time, but lacked legal basis. The Higher Regional Court in Celle is expected to review the procedure again due to the potential political motivation of the charge.

The head of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Verden responsible for transferring the case was Marcus Röske, who led the Staatsanwaltschaft Verden from October 2021 to April 2023 in an acting capacity. Despite numerous inquiries, the press spokesperson for the Verden public prosecutor's office has not commented on whether the overload of the authority played a role in the dismissal of the charge, leaving open the possibility that the charge had a political motivation, which would be illegal.

The misinterpreted laws used by the public prosecutor's office in Verden have not only caused harm and damage to the reputation of the state but have also resulted in a waste of resources. These attempts have cost time, energy, and money that could have been used for important tasks.

The public prosecutor's office in Verden should, by office, be an advocate for the state. However, these attempts have ended in embarrassment, with the Higher Regional Court in Celle having the responsibility to review the procedure and determine if the public prosecutor's office in Verden broke the law by bending and twisting it.

The public prosecutor's office in Verden has temporarily improved the quality of the proceedings but needs to learn to focus on its primary duties, ensuring justice is served fairly and efficiently.