Compact magazine. Photo from eurointegration.com.ua
On Wednesday, the administrative court of Leipzig suspended the decision of Olaf Scholz’s government to ban the far-right magazine Compact, which the authorities consider “the central organ of the far-right scene”, according to Reuters. The ruling temporarily blocks a decision by Germany’s Interior Ministry to ban the publication on July 16, accusing it of inciting hatred and acts that threaten public order.
The government’s decision was accompanied by searches of premises associated with the publication, which took place in four federal states of Germany: Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Several assets were seized during these raids, but efforts to shut down Compact were met with resistance from some legal experts as well as sections of society.
Interior Secretary Nancy Feiser said the magazine was fueling hatred of Jews and migrants, calling it “a central organ of the far-right scene”. She stressed that the state will act against those who promote violence and hatred, especially towards refugees and migrants.
The magazine Compact, which was classified as extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in 2021, has already faced censorship on social media. Facebook and Instagram removed his pages back in 2020 for inciting hatred.
However, the Leipzig court ruled that there was not enough evidence to ban the magazine on the basis of actions against the constitutional order, although some of its articles violate human dignity. At the same time, the court emphasized the importance of protecting the freedom of the press.
Compact editor-in-chief Jürgen Elzesser called the court’s decision a victory and expressed hope that the appeals court would also support this decision. The magazine, founded in 2013, is known for its support of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and the anti-Islam movement Pegida, as well as publishing conspiracy theories and revisionist material.
