The government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) is right now working on exacerbarating the Police Act. Police Acts give the regulation in all federal states, what the police is allowed to do in investigations and operations. In MV this Act is called „Sicherheits- und Ordnungsgesetz“, short: SOG. The draft for the law will be in the parliament soon.
Still we can change it! Still we can prevent it!
The new Police Acts, which came up in many federal states of Germany right now, give more power and possibilities to the police to violate the rights of „suspicious“ people. Still there is no independent institutions to control the police. False suspicion or i.e. racist investigations usually don‘t have any consequences for the policemen/women.
That is why we claim:
- Laws have to be written easy understandable! Police Acts have to be clearly to protect peoples‘ rights!
- The permission for surveillance should only be given for specific and in fact dangerous people!
- Violation of fundamental rights have to be as difficult as possible for the police. They have to be controlled very strictly!
- An independent institution to control the police has to be established!
- We should not sacrifice democracy and freedom for so called „security“!
What is wrong with the draft for the new Police Act for MV?
The police will get the right to violate peoples‘ fundamental rights in many points. In a democratic state it is important, that the police can not just do whatever they want. Their decisions have to be controlled. In Germany this means, that the police usually needs the permission of an independent judge, before they violate the fundamental rights of people. The new law will make it easier for the police to get this permission after the violation more often. Additional it is planned, that the police is allowed to keep evidences, which incriminate themselves. It will also be easier to monitor people. In the public discussion they usually give „terrorism“ as the reason for this. Statistics show, that mostly drug dealers and thiefs are targeted (https://netzpolitik.org/2018/bka-dokument-polizeibehoerden-wollen-staatstrojaner-vor-allem-gegen-drogen-einsetzen/#2014_BKA-RETASAST-Verschl%C3%BCsselte-TK-Inhalte).
What is written in the draft for the new law?
- „Anhaltspunkte“/clues: Police does not have to give facts to the judge any more, why they want to monitor someone. It will be enough, when they give „actual clues“ – or to name it honestly: When they suppose someone is dangerous.
- „Zufälliger Kontakt“/random contact: The Act says someone does not have to plan a crime him/herself to be monitored. It will be enough to have random contact with someone: Friends, familiy, room or flat mates.
- Video surveillance: Police will be allowed to videograph big events. Open Air Concerts, football-stadiums are the beginning – surveillance of the freedom of speech on demonstrations are not far.
- „Staatstrojaner“/spying digital data: It will be easier for police to put surveillance-software on computers and mobile phones of „suspicious people“. It will be easier to hide cameras and microphones in the flats of „suspicious people“.
Exacerbated Police Acts in Germany are worring us, because they give more power to the police. The assumptions, who might commit a crime is strongly connected to the worldview of single policemen/women. An assumption is not a rational criteria and can not be controlled. This is opening the door for police arbitrariness and democracy depleting.
Stop violations of fundamental rights of the Refugees!
In the past years several exacerbations of the Asylum and Residence Acts have taken place. The reason therefore is also often said to be „security and order“. The fundamental rights of Refugees and migrants are already now heavily violated. We have to assume, that these technices and procedures are practiced here and can later be used on every person. Examples:
- In general the police does not ask for search warrants from independent judges before they enter the flats of Refugees at deportations. A court in Hamburg judged in February, that this is a violation of Article 13 of German Fundamental Law. Don‘t accept this in MV! Appeal against it!
- Since 2017 BAMF is allowed to copy and evaluate the full data of the mobile phones of asylum seekers. Nowerdays this is like the police enters a flat and takes every single piece of paper, letters and foto albums to copy them. The own mobile phone contains very private and personal data.
- In the draft for „Geordnete-Rückkehr-Gesetz“ the Ministry for Interior Affairs wants to bring people into deportation jails, who have never committed a crime. The criteria who can be imprisoned will be widened that much, that they are applicable on nearly every Refugee.
Unfortunately not many people are interested in the rights of the Refugees. We should not accept this! Let us fight for the rights of every single person!
For our freedom! For our Rights! Think big!
Control-Insanity and Democracy-Depleting are not only taking place in Germany. Many of our friends have seen and experianced things, that shall never become reality in Germany again: Al Sisi is holding power in Egypt for lifetime – Assad is torturing in underground jails – human rights acitivists endure lashing and death penalty in Iran every day – opposition in Honduras is violantly oppressed – and thousend more attacks on freedom.
When we fight for democratic laws in Germany, we always fight for democracy and human rights all over the world. We claim a life in freedom and dignity for alle people!