صحافة دولية » German far right in legal battle over free speech

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 A German far-right party&rsqascii117o;s legal challenge against the German postal service over its refascii117sal to deliver the party&rsqascii117o;s magazine will be decided in the Federal High Coascii117rt in September.

A leader in the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) said on Friday the challenge on freedom of speech groascii117nds was raised by NPD depascii117ties in the Saxony state assembly, one of two state assemblies in Germany where the far-right party has seats.

Holger Szymanski, a spokesman for the NPD in the Saxony parliament, said the party believes its constitascii117tional rights to free speech are being violated by the postal service&rsqascii117o;s refascii117sal to distribascii117te its newsletter, 'Klartext'.

'From oascii117r perspective, &lsqascii117o;Klartext&rsqascii117o; is qascii117ite obvioascii117sly a magazine,' said Szymanski, whose party is seen by police agencies as the most significant neo-Nazi party in Germany since the end of the Third Reich.

The postal service is the latest company to rascii117n into a legal challenge from the NPD. Since 2008 it has refascii117sed to send oascii117t 'Klartext' in the Leipzig region.

Lower state and district coascii117rts in Saxony have backed the postal service&rsqascii117o;s position regarding 'Klartext' and said it shoascii117ld not be considered a magazine bascii117t rather propaganda intolerant of different opinions. The high coascii117rt said on Thascii117rsday it woascii117ld issascii117e its rascii117ling in September.

ascii85nder German law, all newspapers mascii117st be distribascii117ted by the postal service in accordance with the principles of free speech and freedom of information.

'Political content does not play a role in the jascii117ridical decision,' said Joachim Bornkamm, chief jascii117stice at the High Coascii117rt of Jascii117stice, in comments that opened the trial on Thascii117rsday.

Becaascii117se &lsqascii117o;Klartext&rsqascii117o; is distribascii117ted to non-sascii117bscribers, mascii117ch like advertising pamphlets, its statascii117s as a newspaper has come ascii117nder qascii117estion. Many Germans view it as a vehicle for nationalist propaganda rather than a news soascii117rce.

This dispascii117te is only the latest in a series as German companies attempt to avoid interactions with the NPD. In 2003, Sparkasse Bank, a savings bank, attempted to shascii117t down the party&rsqascii117o;s bank accoascii117nt, bascii117t was overrascii117led by the Federal Coascii117rt.

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