Today, October 2, 2024, the main trial against the founder of the Querdenken movement Michael
Ballweg will take place at Stuttgart Regional Court.
As a reminder: Michael Ballweg and his team organized many demonstrations for peace, freedom and the rule of law.
Including the legendary demos in Berlin 2020.
Ballweg is accused of attempted fraud and attempted tax evasion.
Michael Ballweg was released from custody on April 4, 2023, after 9 months.
Originally, the accusation was that he had committed commercial fraud.
In the course of the investigation, however, this accusation was successively weakened until finally there was only talk of
an unsuitable attempt, in which Ballweg allegedly wanted to commit a crime, which in fact could not be carried out at all.
The accusation of attempted tax evasion is based on the fact that Ballweg was unable to submit
his tax return on time due to his imprisonment.
Mr. Ballweg, you have been campaigning for peace, freedom and the rule of law for years.
And now you, of all people, are on trial today.
How do you cope internally with the fact that you have been under immense attack for years?
Well, I slept very well tonight. And that also shows my inner state.
There's a saying that goes: if you tell the truth, you need a fast horse.
And this also applies to me. But now the reappraisal begins.
I'm looking forward to what's to come and of course I'll accept the challenge. And yes, so much for today.
One more quick question. It's a real negotiating marathon that lies ahead of you. How are you doing with it?
Yes, of course I would - I have to be completely honest, I would also prefer to do other things in my life and
above all continue to stand up for fundamental rights and also for the issue of digital freedom.
By arresting me, they are also trying to restrict my ability to act, also by confiscating more and more of my money.
But I am an entrepreneur, I do things and I am confident that I will continue to succeed.
Dr. Christ, you are the spokesman for Michael Ballweg's three lawyers who are defending him.
Mr. Ballweg will appear before the Stuttgart Regional Court today on charges of fraud and tax evasion.
To the layman, this sounds contrived, because he couldn't do what he had to do.
What do you say to this as a legal expert?
So all the accusations sound very contrived to us lawyers. It is an attempted fraud in an unsuitable form.
This is a very strange legal construction that can be argued about among lawyers for a long time.
The question of attempted or completed tax evasion is also a very problematic issue - for legal reasons - because many taxpayers
actually experience that if a deadline is missed, they still have the opportunity to submit it later and I cannot
remember a case where this concerned someone who was on remand.
So there are some peculiarities here and we as a team of lawyers will of course be watching very closely, as we have been doing
all along, to see what the public prosecutor's office presents, what the court will say about these
strangely constructed accusations and will then address these legal issues in due course.
Thank you very much!
After the first day of the trial, the following conclusion can now be drawn:
With his calls for demonstrations for peace, freedom and the rule of law, Michael Ballweg seems to have hit the
bull's eye and apparently also stirred up a hornet's nest.
Because the foundations of free and democratic coexistence have clearly fallen by the wayside.
So please spread this program as your contribution to peace, freedom and justice and don't tire of taking part
in demonstrations, meetings, regulars' tables, etc. Together with people who care about justice.