A policewoman allegedly involved in a right-wing extremist chat group successfully defended herself against the allegations in court. The Düsseldorf administrative court overturned the official’s suspension on Thursday in an urgent procedure with a remarkable reason: the responsible state office apparently did not recognize that the Hitler file in question was a parody with which Hitler was mocked.

The person shown is not Adolf Hitler The person shown is obviously not Adolf Hitler, but someone who, by means of a parody, mocks Hitler, overdraws and exposes him to ridicule. The conclusion drawn by the State Office that this is a “serious breach of service” and a “violation of political loyalty” is not shared, according to the court.

The accusation that the civil servant had left the ground of the free-democratic basic order is therefore “remote”, especially since it is not even clear whether she even noticed the file (Ref .: 2 L 1910 / 20). The police officer was only a member of a WhatsApp group in which the file was posted.

“The decision of the court must of course be respected. The presumption of innocence applies in all proceedings,” said North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU). “Nevertheless, no one should have any doubts about my fundamental determination: I will consistently continue my zero-tolerance line in the fight against right-wing extremism within my own ranks.”

The court continued to criticize the woman’s suspension was not only inadequate in terms of content, but also formally. The specific individual case was not considered in the decision. The alleged misconduct is not specifically described. It was also not taken into account that the file was sent seven years ago.

Further allegations not understandable Also the suspicion expressed in the decision of the state office that criminal offenses had been committed, such as the use of unconstitutional symbols or incitement to hatred, was “incomprehensible”. Against the decision