Greifswald: Court stops expulsion after controversial gesture in Auschwitz

Greifswald: Court stops expulsion after controversial gesture in Auschwitz

An incident from the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz is causing a stir in Greifswald: two students from the Fischerschule recorded a video during a study trip in which a student shows a right-wing extremist gesture. This video ended up on TikTok and the waves hit when the Ministry of Education immediately announced tough regulatory measures and expelled the students from school after the video became known, reports Baltic Sea newspaper.

As a result, attention also turned to the school management, who failed to report the incident promptly. Only after the Ministry of Education intervened did they file a criminal complaint with the police. The Greifswald Administrative Court then stopped the expulsion from school because it discovered formal and material deficiencies in the decision. This means that the conditions for expulsion may not have been met, such as fears that a temporary exclusion might have been sufficient or that there was not enough evidence.

The legal procedure

The student's lawyer, who can be seen in the video, is critical of the entire situation and speaks of a prejudgment. In his opinion, the hand signal can only be seen briefly and cannot be interpreted as a white power gesture, which in right-wing extremist circles stands for the superiority of the “white race”. What is interesting is that the gesture can also be interpreted as “ok” in diver language, which causes additional confusion.

However, the administrative court did not even clearly state whether it classified the sign as “ok” or as white power. During the decision, the urgent procedure took place behind closed doors because the students affected are minors. The State Board of Education announced that it would appeal the court's decision, meaning the main proceedings are still pending.

A look at the laws

In the context of this incident, the legal framework is also important. According to information from Time Certain right-wing extremist symbols and their use can be prosecuted by law, in particular under Sections 86 and 86a of the Criminal Code. These paragraphs regulate the distribution of propaganda materials and the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations. Penalties can range from fines to imprisonment of up to three years.

The juvenile criminal law that applies in this case stipulates that the focus is on the idea of ​​education. Instead of pure punishment, the courts often rely on community service or social training courses. This ensures that young people recognize and understand the consequences of their actions.

The topic not only attracts public attention, but also shows the difficulties in dealing with right-wing extremist symbolism, especially in the digital age. The school management and the Ministry of Education in Greifswald are faced with the challenge of taking the right steps to meet both public safety and educational equity.