Verdict or Innocence Decision?
The trial of Michael Ballweg, the founder of the German "Querdenken" movement, concluded on July 31, 2025, with a partial acquittal. The court found that Ballweg could not be proven to have acted with fraudulent intent, despite the prosecution's demand for a three-year prison sentence and confiscation of over half a million euros.
Ballweg, a 50-year-old IT entrepreneur from Stuttgart, had been standing trial since fall, accused of attempted fraud and tax evasion. The charges stemmed from his involvement with the Corona protest movement "Querdenken 711," which he founded in April 2020. The movement grew into a nationwide platform against lockdown, mask, and vaccine mandates.
The trial touched on the challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic and the question of how far the state can interfere with citizens' rights during crises. Originally, money laundering was also suspected, but the charge was dropped by the regional court. The prosecution also alleges that Ballweg failed to submit his tax return on time while in pre-trial detention and that he misused over half a million euros for private purposes.
However, the court's decision aligned with a prior proposal to dismiss the case on grounds of insignificance, which the prosecution had earlier rejected. The judges argued that they couldn't prove intent against Ballweg. Ballweg's lawyers have pleaded for acquittal and compensation for the entrepreneur, citing a financial loss of around €80,000 with his initiative.
During the trial, Ballweg was frequently accompanied and supported by followers of his movement. His followers occupied the gallery and demonstrated outside the prison when he was in pre-trial detention. The prosecution applied for the recusal of the professional judges, without success.
Following the trial, Ballweg is reportedly set to receive a tax refund of €200,000 related to wrongful charges and imprisonment. Despite the prosecution's pursuit of a heavy sentence, the final verdict cleared Ballweg of the key charges due to lack of evidence of intent and led to partial legal relief for him.
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- Despite the prosecution's attempts to link Michael Ballweg's case with general-news topics like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Querdenken movement, the court only focused on charges related to politics, such as attempted fraud and tax evasion.
- The conclusion of the trial for Michael Ballweg, a central figure in the politics and crime-and-justice sphere, resulted in a partial acquittal, which sparked controversy and debate among legal experts and followers of the Querdenken movement.
