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2mo ago

Berlin Constitutional Court Orders Senate to Reconsider AfD’s Request for Suspects’ First Names

The ruling spotlights privacy safeguards versus parliamentary inquiry rights by obliging the Senate to justify any future refusal.

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Berliner Verfassungsgerichtshof am Kleistpark
Der Abgeordnete Marc Vallendar (AfD) spricht auf der Plenarsitzung des Berliner Abgeordnetenhauses. Der Senat muß künftig Anfragen zu den Vornamen deutscher Tatverdächtiger bei Messerangriffen herausgeben.
Der Berliner Senat muss neu über die Beantwortung einer parlamentarischen Anfrage der AfD zu den 20 häufigsten Vornamen von deutschen Verdächtigen im Fall von Straftaten mit Messern entscheiden. Das entschied der Berliner Verfassungsgerichtshof.

Overview

  • The court issued a 5–4 ruling on May 13 that was made public June 4, with four dissenting judges citing discrimination and human dignity concerns.
  • AfD MP Marc Vallendar initiated a 2024 inquiry for the 20 most common given names of German nationals suspected in 2023 knife offences to assess migration backgrounds.
  • Berlin’s Senate had refused, citing risks of identifying individuals and possible stigmatization of citizens with migration backgrounds.
  • Under the court’s order, the Senate must reconsider the request and provide a stronger legal justification if it declines again.
  • The AfD plans to press similar information demands in other states, notably in Saxony, using the ruling as legal precedent.