Court stops savings bank termination: Red Help celebrates victory against debanking!

Court stops savings bank termination: Red Help celebrates victory against debanking!

The Red Help e. V. was able to record a remarkable success before the Göttingen Regional Court: The decision to oblige Sparkasse Göttingen to maintain the organization's account represents an important victory against debanking. The court issued an interim injunction classifying the termination of the account as unlawful. The savings bank justified the closure with increased inspection effort as a result of the US government classifying “Antifa Ost” as a terrorist organization. But the court rejected this argument. According to the judges, political decisions made by a third country are not a sufficient basis for an account to be terminated by a German credit institution. This decision is not only a ray of hope for Rote Hilfe, but also a signal against politically motivated account terminations as a whole.

The termination of the Rote Hilfe account did not come out of the blue. As early as December 2025, the organization had to accept the termination of all current accounts at two banks, even though the business relationships were previously free of problems. The GLS Bank also spoke out against the Rote Hilfe accounts and demanded information about their fundraising, which was seen as a pretext for the terminations. According to a report by Etos Media, the termination by GLS Bank was a direct response to the US classification of “Antifa East”. These connections shed a bright light on the current state of freedom of expression and political repression in Germany.

Political repression and civil society

Hartmut Brückner from Rote Hilfe made the explosive nature of the ruling clear by emphasizing that access to basic infrastructure such as bank accounts should not depend on political attributions. Such practices put civil society engagement and democratic participation under pressure. The discussion about debanking has now developed into a more important topic that receives widespread solidarity from different groups and individuals. There is a need for civil society actors to stand together in order to counteract increasing political repression.

The Red Help e. V., which has been providing support during repression after protests for over 100 years, sees its work massively impaired by such account terminations. There had already been account terminations at other groups, including the German Communist Party and the Anarchist Black Cross. Despite the challenges, Rote Hilfe remains committed and offers support to everyone who meets the criteria - regardless of their party affiliation or ideology.

Future outlook and resistance

With the current verdict, Rote Hilfe has not only regained its account, but has also sent a strong signal. It remains to be seen how the Sparkasse will react if it sticks to the termination, as regular main proceedings could then follow. The broad public discussion sparked by the “Stop Debanking!” campaign. initiated will continue to gain in importance. Despite all adversities, Rote Hilfe will continue to advocate for the rights of victims of repression and lead the protest against such measures.

The situation remains tense, but civil society mobilization is required to avert future attacks on various social groups. On the one hand there is the risk of further account terminations, on the other hand there is the strength of a community of solidarity that is prepared to stand up for their rights. It remains to be hoped that the current developments will also encourage other banking institutions to take their responsibility towards civil society organizations seriously and not allow themselves to be guided by political attributions.

For further information about the case, we recommend taking a look at the reporting from Red help, Etos Media and nd current.