We are an anti-repression group that was founded when our friend and comrade Adel was arrested unjustly and with unbelievable arbitrariness and ended up in pre-trial detention.

We live in a time when the police justify their right-wing populism with “individual cases” and radicalise themselves in their nationalist chat groups.

All over Europe, brave anti-fascists are becoming victims of state violence and massive repression. It doesn’t matter if it’s Lina, who is flown by helicopter to the Attorney General’s Office like a felon, or our friends Ferhat, Findus, Jo and Dy, who are also accused of anti-fascism as a crime.

We would like to tell you about an incident in our ranks that has deeply shaken us. In March 2021, thousands of people demonstrated in Berlin under the slogan “Peace – Freedom – Sovereignty” against the state’s Corona measures. Among them were many conspiracy theorists, corona deniers and neo-Nazis.

In the course of this demonstration, there was a conflict between anti-fascists and right-wing demonstrators in the Tiergarten. As a result, our friend and comrade Adel and other people were arrested by the Berlin police in a massive deployment.

The following scene took place in the detention van of the Riot Police: The officer in charge opened the door of the small cell and asked Adel if he knew what day it was. Adel answered in the negative and the officer spitefully replied, “Today is the day you will be remanded in custody. This means that the decision about his fate was made before a magistrate approved it. From this example, it can be observed that Adel had no chance, but was found guilty in advance.

After hours of uncertainty, Adel was taken with the other detainees to the detention centre at Tempelhofer Damm. There began an inhuman ordeal lasting several hours.

Adel was taken to a cell where he had to spend the next 18 hours unclothed, without a blanket or pillow, on a wooden cot. The bright light was not turned off even for the night’s rest. So Adel spent the entire time awake in the cell, in the dark about his future. More racist insults, comments and taunts followed throughout the night. Statements such as “oh, the migrant leftist tick again” or “shut your face blackhaired piece of shit” were a constant companion of Adel. The worst and most derogatory comment that still accompanies him today was “people like you should be thrown straight into a hole, that’s where you belong”.

His lawyer, who was contacted immediately after his arrest, made strenuous efforts to secure his release. In the further course of this investigation, the Berlin police tricked their way into winning the approval of the competent custodial judge by implying that he was a flight risk. As was to be expected, this task fell to the officers of the LKA 5 who were familiar with the scene. These known officers drove to Adel’s official residence and tried to break into his mother’s (in this case Mrs Muster’s) flat with his flat key. However, Mrs Muster noticed this impertinence and opened the door. What followed were manipulative questions designed to accuse him of something. There was no search warrant, which is why Ms Muster was able to escape the officers’ assault.

Adel has always refused to be broken, neither by the racist repressive apparatus in Berlin nor by the systematic intimidation of his family members, which was the order of the day.

In this intervention, too, we assume that the purpose of the whole thing is to present a construct of lies to the arresting judge which would prove that there was a risk of flight. They achieved their goal and Adel had to be remanded in custody despite all our efforts.

After two weeks in pre-trial detention, Adel was finally released on bail of €5,000 and an obligation to report to the police three times a week. However, the ordeal is not over yet. On 19 November, the first day of his trial will take place. It can be assumed that the Berlin police want to make an example out of this case in order to criminalise anti-fascism in connection with Corona deniers.

But we will not be broken, especially in times when the Berlin senate and the Berlin police are cracking down harder and harder on left structures and people, we have to stand together and confront this class justice with determination.

Free Adel – Free all Antifascists!