Leipzig: Federal Court examines controversial ban on Compact” magazine

Leipzig: Federal Court examines controversial ban on Compact” magazine

Today the focus is on the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig as it negotiates the controversial ban on the right-wing extremist magazine “Compact”. This ban was announced in July 2024 by the then Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD), who described the magazine as the “central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene”. The decision led to the immediate discontinuation of all print and online offerings. Following the ban, searches led to the seizure of disks and copies of the publication, while the magazine's websites were blocked, reported World.

The Federal Administrative Court began examining the justification for the ban at 10 a.m. today. During the course of the hearing, the 6th Senate of the court expressed doubts about the proportionality of the ban. The judges heard the arguments of both the federal government and those of the “Compact” team, which sued against the ban and asked for publication rights to be restored. The oral hearing is scheduled for three days, with two further days of hearing already planned for June 11th and 12th.

Arguments and concerns

The Federal Ministry of the Interior argues that “Compact’s” publications potentially violate the constitutional order and could incite actions against this order. In particular, it is pointed out that the reporting is aimed at hate speech against Jews and people with a migration background. The claims are considered comprehensive and supported by evidence from security authorities. On the other hand, “Compact” emphasizes that association law is not applicable to press law products, which is a central line of argument in their lawsuit daily news.

The court's decision is seen by the public and among experts such as the German Association of Journalists (DJV) as groundbreaking for freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The DJV criticized the ban as a political snapshot and called for a comprehensive overall assessment. Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) also criticized Faeser's actions and called for milder means to deal with the phenomenon.

Future decisions

It remains unclear whether the court will make a judgment at the end of the hearing or set another date. The final decision is expected in the main proceedings and the examination of the legality of the ban could still take time. Political actors and the media are currently watching closely to see how this legal dispute will develop.

The current Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) defended the ministry's arguments and continued to have concerns about the activities of “Compact”. The court formally considers the ban order to be legal, but cannot conclusively assess whether the violations identified are so serious that the ban can be viewed as proportionate, according to the latest information from World.