German court rejects criminal‑organization charges against climate activists
On 31 March 2026 the Landgericht Flensburg dismissed the state prosecutor’s attempt to charge members of the climate‑activist group Letzte Generation under § 129 of the German Criminal Code, which defines a criminal association. The court found no evidence of a disruption to public services or a danger to public order, stating that the blockades at airports and an oil pipeline were intended to influence political debate and could be prosecuted as coercion or property damage rather than as a criminal organization.
The ruling signals a limit to the use of § 129 as a broad tool against protest movements and may affect similar cases pending in Potsdam, Munich and other jurisdictions. Critics, including the Red Aid organization, welcomed the decision as a safeguard for fundamental rights and called for the dismissal of ongoing charges against Letzte Generation activists.