German Court Rejects Ex-BSI Chief Schönbohm’s Claim for Damages Against Interior Ministry
Arne Schönbohm's lawsuit alleging a breach of duty by the Interior Ministry after his dismissal following a satirical TV report has been dismissed by a Cologne court.
- The Cologne Administrative Court ruled that Arne Schönbohm, former head of Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), is not entitled to damages from the Interior Ministry for his dismissal in 2022.
- Schönbohm claimed the ministry failed to protect him after allegations of ties to Russian intelligence surfaced in a satirical TV show by Jan Böhmermann, which led to his removal as BSI chief.
- The court acknowledged the ministry could have offered more support but found no evidence of systematic harassment or severe violations of Schönbohm's rights.
- Schönbohm was reassigned to a similarly paid role as President of the Federal Academy for Public Administration following his dismissal, which the court deemed permissible under civil service rules.
- The ZDF, which aired the Böhmermann segment, is appealing a Munich court ruling that banned certain claims from the show, while Schönbohm considers further legal action.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 
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