Imprisonment or Innocence: The Final Decision?
In a landmark ruling, the Stuttgart Regional Court has acquitted Michael Ballweg, the founder of the Corona protest movement "Querdenken 711," of the main fraud charges, but found him guilty of tax evasion[1][3].
The court's decision stems from the conclusion that Ballweg did not act with fraudulent intent, leading to his acquittal on the attempted fraud charge covering 9,450 cases[3]. Despite the prosecution's demands for a three-year prison sentence and the confiscation of over half a million euros, alleging misuse of funds, the court rejected these claims[1][2].
Ballweg's defense demonstrated that he incurred a loss of around 80,000 euros with his initiative and called for acquittal and compensation for his months in pretrial custody[1][2]. In contrast, the prosecution maintains its hard line even at the end of the trial, despite signals from the court[2].
The trial, which touches on the challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic, raises questions about how far the state can intervene in citizens' rights during crises. The movement, which grew into a nationwide platform against lockdown, mask, and vaccine mandates, gained a significant following[2].
The prosecution alleges that Ballweg raised over one million euros from donors but deceived them about the use of funds[1]. However, the court's decision suggests that they could not prove intent against Ballweg[1].
The prosecution rejected the proposal to discontinue the proceedings and applied for the recusal of the professional judges[1]. Despite this, the judge has hinted for months that she evaluates the case differently from the prosecution[1].
Michael Ballweg, a 50-year-old IT entrepreneur from Stuttgart, has been standing trial for alleged fraud and tax evasion. The final verdict was an acquittal on fraud charges and a conviction of tax evasion with a warning, not imprisonment[1][3].
[1] The Local [2] Deutsche Welle [3] Bild
The court's decision on the tax evasion charge against Michael Ballweg, founder of the Corona protest movement "Querdenken 711," was poltically significant, given the movement's prominence in general-news and crime-and-justice discussions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the prosecution's claims of fraudulent fundraising activities by Ballweg, the court could not prove his intent, leading to his acquittal on the fraud charges.
