The 42-year-old man’s acquittal on all neo-Nazism charges was met with surprise, which has since turned to anger. Police seized Nazi propaganda from him, and he was reportedly seen wearing a vest with SS symbols.
The Mauthausen Committee (MKÖ), which works to combat Nazism, calls the verdict “a scandal of the highest order” and accuses the judge in the case of showing clear sympathy for the 42-year-old during the trial.
“This is not just incompetence; obviously, right-wing winds have reached parts of the judiciary,” MKÖ writes, calling on the Ministry of Justice to review how the law prohibiting Nazi activities is being enforced.
