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Court decision (symbolic image)
Photo: Rolf Vennenbernd / picture alliance/dpa
Apparently only “serious journalists” were allowed: reporters from the ARD political magazine “Kontraste” were denied access to an AfD event in Dessau.
They did not receive permission to film the “Citizen Dialogue” in advance.
Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) took action against this decision - and applied for an interim injunction.
The Magdeburg regional court decided that the ARD journalists had to be granted access and, in its decision, cited, among other things, the freedom of the press enshrined in the Basic Law.
According to a statement from the RBB, the AfD parliamentary group leaders Ulrich Siegmund and Oliver Kirchner were threatened with a fine of up to 250,000 euros or imprisonment for up to six months if they denied the team of reporters access to the event or did not report to them to the same extent as others Allow media.
The program for the “Citizens’ Dialogue” on Tuesday evening included topics such as migration and internal security.
The AfD parliamentary group leader Siegmund took part in a meeting with right-wing extremists in Potsdam, where, according to Correctiv research, a plan to deport millions of people from Germany was said to have been discussed.
Siegmund explained that he had attended the meeting in Potsdam as a private person and did not want to expel German citizens or people with valid residence status.
He did not hear any such demands at the meeting.
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