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German Court Lifts Ban on Right-Wing Magazine Compact

Judges ruled that although Compact published constitutionally objectionable articles, these did not define the group’s overall orientation to justify an association ban.

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Compact-Chefredakteur Jürgen Elsässer

Overview

  • On June 24, the Bundesverwaltungsgericht in Leipzig overturned the 2024 prohibition under the Vereinsgesetz, allowing Compact to resume all print and online operations.
  • The court found that Compact’s extremist content, while infringing constitutional norms, had not become decisive for the organization’s overall political agenda.
  • Compact-Magazin GmbH has been monitored as a right-wing extremist association by the Verfassungsschutz since 2021, but its individual radical pieces remain protected under press freedom.
  • Editor Jürgen Elsässer hailed the verdict as a victory for free speech and said it would bolster the AfD’s standing.
  • Press and legal experts warn the ruling sets a strict threshold for banning extremist media and could shape future association-law cases.