Most recently, Yasemin Acar (38), a self-confessed Israel hater, repeatedly chanted ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ in public in Berlin between February 17 and July 24, 2024. She was acquitted for this. She was only punished for attacking police officers and defamation. For this, she received a penalty of 120 daily fines of 15 euros each (1,800 euros in total). Already in the courtroom and then on the street, she celebrated the outcome of the trial with like-minded people. Following an appeal by the public prosecutor’s office, the case and the acquittal have now been referred to the regional court.
But the most surprising thing so far is that Judge Philipp Berkholz from the Berlin-Tiergarten District Court, who is obliged to remain impartial, had previously said during the trial: ‘I have great respect for what you are doing. You probably speak for a lot of people. You stand by what you have done.’
Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor is appalled: ‘Anyone who stands shoulder to shoulder with terrorist sympathisers, who attacks police officers and cheers Iranian missile attacks deserves many things, but not respect. Burkard Dregger, justice and police expert in the Berlin House of Representatives: ‘This is not the way to deter copycat crimes. Volker Beck, head of the German-Israeli Society, is calling for consequences: ‘Showing respect to a defendant who insults police officers and chants slogans calling for the destruction of Israel disqualifies this judge.’ Neither Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) nor Berlin’s Senator of Justice Felor Badenberg (CDU) wanted to comment to the newspaper B.Z. Both referred to judicial independence.
In the meantime, retired judge Thomas Walther has filed a disciplinary complaint against Judge Philipp Berkholz. However, nothing has happened so far.