Leipzig Prosecutor’s Workplace Closes Investigation into AfD Politician Jörg Dornau

Fri twentieth Dec, 2024

The Leipzig Prosecutor’s Workplace has introduced its resolution to stop investigations towards Jörg Dornau, a member of the AfD from Rötha, amid allegations regarding his agricultural practices in Belarus. The investigation was prompted by reviews suggesting that Dornau utilized prisoners on his onion farm in Belarus. Nevertheless, the authorities concluded that there was inadequate proof to provoke legal proceedings.

In accordance with the prosecutor’s workplace, thorough analysis revealed no cheap suspicion of legal conduct that may warrant authorized motion. A big issue of their resolution was the evaluation of the authorized framework surrounding actions taken in Belarus, the place the alleged actions don’t represent against the law underneath native legal guidelines.

The allegations towards Dornau stemmed from media accounts detailing the experiences of a political prisoner, who claimed he labored on Dornau’s farm. The prosecutor’s workplace clarified that the prisoner reportedly had the choice to reject the work supply from the farm, indicating that his labor was not coerced. In actual fact, the person said that employment on the farm was preferable to the circumstances he confronted within the Belarusian penal system, which he described as torturous.

Whereas underneath worldwide regulation, significantly the precept of common jurisdiction, there might be a foundation for prosecuting sure offenses dedicated overseas, together with human trafficking, the prosecutors discovered that the present proof didn’t substantiate such claims. They famous that potential fees associated to compelled labor or exploitation of staff by German residents overseas are solely prosecutable if these actions are additionally unlawful on the location the place they occurred. On this case, there have been no indications of coercion, which finally led to the closure of the case.

Regardless of the conclusion of the legal investigation, Dornau has confronted penalties from the Saxony State Parliament for failing to reveal his enterprise actions in Belarus. He has been ordered to pay a fantastic of EUR20,862 to the president of the parliament for his lack of transparency relating to these dealings. Dornau has the choice to contest this penalty in court docket.

Studies earlier this yr by varied media retailers revealed that Dornau had been the proprietor of an agricultural enterprise in Belarus since 2020 and had taken on the position of managing director in 2023. Following these revelations, vital scrutiny arose relating to the circumstances and moral implications of using political prisoners on his agricultural operations.

The closure of this investigation highlights the complexities surrounding authorized accountability for actions taken by people overseas, significantly in contexts the place human rights abuses are prevalent. Because the state of affairs develops, it will likely be important to watch how these authorized interpretations and political dynamics evolve in relation to Dornau and the broader implications for German politics.