The courtcase against the comrade from amsterdam is taking place at the
Landesgericht of Aachen, following the pre-announced days.

So far the court has heard witness statements by the two bank employees
which were present in the bank on that morning in july 2013, describing a
robbery that took place before the opening times for the public, where
three people entered the aachener bank (which by the way has now been shut down)
with the first arriving employee. They waited about 5 minutes for the
second employee to arrive, as they both needed to be present to open the
safe. The three intruders took 42000 euros. The two employees describe
then being put into the office of the bank and tied with tie-ribs behind
their backs. Neither of them is sure to have had a weapon drawn or pointed at them during this time, although they were threatened to collaborate or be shot.
After being tied they did not see the three unusual customers again.
There are no witnesses declaring that they saw these three people leave.
The bound employees were liberated by a third employee, who arrived a
few minutes after the off-hour customers had left. she sounded the alarm and then untied them.

The bank was closed down for one week after the robbery to permit the
forensic police to scavenge. The following week the bank was back in
business. On that friday, exactly 11 days after the robbery took place, an other employee, while looking for some receipts in a cupboard, found himself holding an alarm pistol, and also observed there was a second one. The diligent worker immediately called
the police, who assumed these weapons were associated with the robbery.
On one of these two pistols was found the dna of the comrade from
amsterdam. Her DNA was matched after more than one year later, by the
Manchester police, who had taken a sample from her in 2009 after the
arrest for a minor crime.

None of the witnesses have given the minimum indication of recognizing
the comrade, nor have talked about any detail leading in her direction.
They also declared that they would not be able to recognize anyone from
that encounter.

Besides these witnesses the court has heard from various police
officers, those who arrived on the spot some minutes after the employees
gave the alarm. Also from them there were no statements of any significance.

Then took the stand heer Kessel, the police officer leading the
investigation, who disclosed the different steps of this investigation,
however, hiding behind some legal paragraph where he did not have to
talk about the details of the investigation which would reveal police
methods or the ongoing investigation against other suspects. He then
proceeded to, incited by the prosecutor, to talk about vague and
circumstantial ties with other anarchists.

This is an update regards the unfolding of the court case up to the 22nd of november 2016. More updates will follow.

By the 1st of december all the evidence will be presented in court.
On the 5th there will be the pleas of both the prosecution and the defense.
The day of the verdict should be announced on the 5th.

Solidarity with the comrade facing trial

on the 4th of November the first session took place of the trial against the anarchist arrested in Amsterdam accused by the prosecution of aachen of a bank robbery (from 2013).

Although at the courthouse there was an abundant presence of cops of all functions and uniforms (riot police in the courtyard and inside the building, an id check for anyone attending the courtcase, cops controlling some people on the streets), over 30 friends and comrades were present in support.

There was a banner outside the court building which demanded immediate release for the comrade.

The session lasted no longer than one hour, just a few formalities, the reading of the charges and the arranging of the schedule for the trial. The next date is thursday 17th November at 10:30. We remind everyone who wants to be present that they should arrive to the courtroom no later than  9:45, as getting through security takes quite some time.

The comrade facing charges in connection to a bank robbery which took place in 2013, will appear in court for the beginning of the trial on the 4th of November.

The trial will take place in an estimated 9 sessions, over a 5 week period.

The other dates:

4/11, 17/11,  21/11,  22/11,  1/12,  5/12,  8/12,  13/12

We will be in the court to support our comrade and on the streets to spread solidarity.

The lawyers have informed us that the extradition to germany, of the comrade arrested on the 15/9, by request of the prosecution of Aachen, will take place today.

Tomorrow she will appear in front of a judge who will confirm her preventive investigative detention (Uhaft).

Solidarity through struggle!

The court of Amsterdam today, 15/9/2016 decided to comply with the german state’s request to extradite our comrade who will face trial in Aachen, for the accusation of bank robbery.

The verdict was pronounced around 12:30, and she was immediately taken.
The tribuna was full of friends and comrades in solidarity and support with the comrade facing repression.

solidarity in struggle.