Rotenburg's Cannibal Petitions for Premature Freedom from Custody - Rotenburg Cannibals Petition for Premature Freedom from imprisonment
Armin Meiwes Applies for Early Release After 23 Years in Custody
Armin Meiwes, known as the "Rotenburg Cannibal," has once again applied for early release from prison, after serving 23 years for his heinous crime. As of mid-August 2025, the decision on his application is not yet publicly reported.
Meiwes was initially convicted of manslaughter in 2004 by the Regional Court in Kassel, but the verdict was overturned by the Federal Court of Justice. In 2006, the Regional Court in Frankfurt convicted Meiwes of murder and violation of corpse and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He has been serving his sentence in Kassel ever since.
The application for early release is currently under review by the Sentencing Review Chamber of the Regional Court in Kassel. The review process includes obtaining a prognosis expert opinion and a hearing, which was initially suspended until the end of the year at the request of Meiwes and his lawyer.
The prosecution has applied to refuse early release for Meiwes, citing an expert opinion that recommends against his conditional release at this time. However, no judicial decision has been made on the prosecution's application yet.
Meiwes' new lawyer, Frank Füglein, does not consider his client dangerous and has criticized the JVA Kassel for not preparing Meiwes for freedom in recent years. Early release for Meiwes was possible at the earliest in December 2017, but no subsequent applications for early release have been successful.
In August 2020, the Sentencing Review Chamber of the Regional Court in Kassel rejected conditional release for Meiwes due to a lack of a favorable legal and social prognosis. Meiwes also made an unsuccessful constitutional complaint.
Given the seriousness of his crime and the relatively recent application, a final decision could take several months or longer, depending on the legal process, rehabilitation assessments, and parole board reviews typical for life imprisonment cases in Germany. There is no publicly available specific timeline for a decision at this stage.
[1] Source: news article
The community is awaiting the court's decision on Armin Meiwes' application for early release after 23 years in custody, a move that has sparked intense discussions in the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors. Despite the long-standing employment policy of keeping a clear distance from controversial figures, it remains unclear whether the community policy will be influenced by the potential release of the infamous Rotenburg Cannibal.
