Overview

• The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig began hearings on June 10 to decide whether to uphold the ban on ‘Compact’ magazine after temporarily suspending it last August.
• The Federal Interior Ministry banned the publication in July 2024 under Nancy Faeser, citing its dissemination of antisemitic, racist and conspiracy-laden content and its role as a right-wing extremist organ.
• Editor Jürgen Elsässer and the magazine’s legal team argue that imposing association law on a media entity breaches press freedom and fails the proportionality test for a full ban.
• Over three days, judges will assess whether ‘Compact’s’ statements and activities exceed protected opinion and pose a concrete threat to Germany’s constitutional order.
• The court has scheduled additional hearings on June 11 and 12 but has not yet announced a date for its final ruling, underscoring the case’s broader implications for future media bans.