Animal welfare drama in Lower Saxony: activists convicted and have to pay!

Animal welfare drama in Lower Saxony: activists convicted and have to pay!

A explosive decision by the Oldenburg Regional Court caused excitement in the animal welfare scene: two animal rights activists were convicted because they secretly made videos in a slaughterhouse. The judgment, which was issued on July 16, 2025, obliges the activists to pay compensation and provide for strict injunctive relief. The two animal rights activists who had gained access to the slaughterhouse in spring 2024 wanted to document the controversial CO2 anesthesia of pigs. The secretly recorded videos show how the animals are driven into a gondola and stunned with highly concentrated carbon dioxide. These recordings were finally published, which now led to the legal problems that affect the two activists. Among other things, the NDR reported on the topic, which summarized the details of the judgment and illuminated the reactions of the parties concerned.

The court found that agricultural scientist Anna Schubert is responsible for the publication of the material, while photographer Hendrik Haßel could not be demonstrated. Schubert and Haßel were represented by the Berlin law firm KM8, while the slaughterhouse operator was able to count on the support of the Hamburg office GVW Graf von Westphalen. In total, the operator of the slaughterhouse demands 98,000 euros in damages. In addition, the court issued a ban that prohibits the activists to enter the slaughterhouse area without permission and to further spread the illegally created recordings. These decisions were made after the court had compared the defendant's interest in the rights of the slaughterhouse operator.

controversial practices in pig farming

The CO2 anesthesia of animals has been a controversial topic for years. The European Food Authority (EFSA) already found in 2004 that animals could suffer from this method. In Germany, however, it is estimated that about 80 percent of the pigs are stunned in this way. While the slaughterhouse operator relies on an EU regulation that allows this method, the lawyer Barbara Felde criticizes this procedure and advocates the use of electro-pliers as an animal welfare alternative. This discourse on the methods in the slaughter industry shows that there is considerable discussion in society.

The convicted animal rights activists have already announced that they are appealed against the judgment. It remains exciting how these legal disputes will develop and what consequences this could have for animal welfare in Germany. Local media like the NDR keep the public up to date with the latest developments.

For more information on the judgment and the background, read the reports of ndr , lto .