Germany’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution as an Instrument for Character Assassination
DIRTY DEEDS UNDER COVER OF PROTECTING THE CONSTITUTION:
THE DREKSLER CASE IN BERLIN
Although the OPC has no judicial powers, there is unfortunately a type of guilt with which it can “convict” an individual or a member of an organization:
Guilt by association.
This is irrespective of whether guilt has even been examined by a court of law. The targets of OPC surveillance are often innocent of any crime. We are talking about the odor of guilt, without evidence.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance plainly had this concern on his mind when he wrote his December 1997 report on Germany. He warned that OPC surveillance must “in no way prejudge the organization's nature and activities... [or] prejudge or replace the decisions taken by the courts.”