Opens court proceedings for the assault on Jewish student group trial
Thursday marks the start of a trial at the Tiergarten Local Court in Berlin, Germany, as a 32-year-old individual stands accused of antisemitic actions against Jewish student Lahav Shapira at the Free University of Berlin in December 2023.
The accused is alleged to have prevented Shapira from accessing an occupied lecture hall during a pro-Palestinian action, and is said to have grabbed, pushed, and made antisemitic slurs against the victim. The defendant has filed an appeal, leading to the current trial.
In a separate case, a 24-year-old was sentenced to three years in prison in April for assaulting Lahav Shapira in a separate incident.
Shapira, who had previously gained attention as a victim of a violent attack in another case, is suing the Free University of Berlin over its alleged failure to combat antisemitism, claiming it violates the Berlin Higher Education Act. The lawsuit is currently being considered by the Berlin Administrative Court.
Reports of antisemitism and Zionist conflicts at the university are not new, with incidents involving pro-Palestinian protests and allegations of Zionist aggression having taken place. Regular demonstrations related to the Israel-Palestine conflict have been taking place in Berlin, including at universities, in response to the Islamic Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023.
Initially, the court imposed a fine of 1,500 euros on the 32-year-old, consisting of 50 daily rates of 30 euros each. However, the sentence in the separate case against the 24-year-old is not yet final.
It is important to note that this trial is an individual case and should not be generalised to the entire university or student body. The trial is scheduled to start at 9:00 AM and members of the public are encouraged to follow updates from local legal or university sources for more detailed updates.
- The current trial at the Tiergarten Local Court in Berlin, Germany, revolves around politics and general-news, as it pertains to a 32-year-old individual on trial for antisemitic actions against Jewish student Lahav Shapira in a pro-Palestinian event.
- Concurrently, crime-and-justice is also a significant aspect, as a separate 24-year-old was sentenced to prison for assaulting Lahav Shapira in a separate incident.
