Overview
- Deniz Celik, a Left party lawmaker in Hamburg, refused to sign a cease-and-desist demanded over his claim that the Verfassungsschutz has protected right-wing networks.
- His contested line appeared in an October 21 press release criticizing planned background checks and alleging the agency’s history of shielding right-wing structures.
- On Monday, a law firm commissioned by the Interior Ministry ordered Celik to stop repeating the claim and warned of legal proceedings if he did.
- Celik let the deadline pass and called the move absurd, while the legal filing argues his wording undermines public trust and impairs the agency’s functioning.
- Die Linke leaders condemned the step as an attempt to intimidate an elected official and curb parliamentary rights, as debate grows over oversight and no lawsuit has been filed publicly.