Six Germans accused of "membership of a terrorist organisation" went back to court on 17 August as their trial has recommenced. Harald Glöde, Axel Haug, Sabine Eckle, Matthias Borgmann, Lothar Ebke and Rudolf Schindler, on remand for the past 18 months, have spent that time in isolation cells and transferred around the country.

Their trial started in March this year. Most of the charges relating to specific incidents have passed their limitation period and are now statute-barred crimes. Moreover, the "terrorist" organisation in question, the Revolutionäre Zellen/Rote Zora, which was active in Germany for almost 20 years, declared its dissolution almost ten years ago.

The Courts case is based on evidence of one man, Tarek Mousli, who has turned Crown Witness. Mousli, who had been active in the Berlin autonomous scene, has incriminated several of the accused who are being tried under the German Criminal Penal Code, which has been almost exclusively applied to extra-parliamentary pressure groups such as the anti-nuclear movement, peace campaigns, animal rights groups, squatters and in particular, the anti-racist and anti-fascist movements.

Like its German equivalent, the UK Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has a loose application. Watching how this trial develops gives an indication of how civil rights here might be threatened by any future prosecutions under the PTA.

For more info check the trial website - (English version.There's good background info and weekly trial
updates.