Accused anti-fascist: Negotiate to the death?

There is a place in the dock in the Dresden Higher Regional Court that remained empty on Tuesday. Seven anti-fascists have been on trial there since last November. The accusation: several serious attacks on right-wing extremists as part of “Antifa Ost”. But now the proceedings against one accused, Henry A., have been separated. Because the 38-year-old is unresponsive in the hospital after a suicide attempt.

This is exactly the case that his defense lawyers had been warning the court about for weeks. Vain. Henry A. had been in the sights of the Saxon LKA's Soko Linx for years. In 2021 they searched his apartment in Leipzig twice. At that time, the first trial was already underway in Dresden against four “Antifa Ost” suspects including Lina E. from Leipzig, who was ultimately sentenced to a good five years in prison in 2023.

At the same time, the LKA was investigating other leftists who were also said to have been involved in attacks on right-wing extremists. One of them is said to have been Henry A. After the raids, Henry A. remained at large. The allegations against him are also sensitive because Henry A. was still an employee of the Leipzig city administration at the time. He is said to have had a key to an “Antifa Ost” depot in an attic of an apartment building in Leipzig. And he is also said to have been involved in an attack: on a group of neo-Nazis in Wurzen who were returning from a march in Dresden.

In May 2025, Henry A. and six other defendants - including Lina E.'s former partner, Johann G. - were charged by the Federal Prosecutor's Office with membership in a criminal organization, and for some, attempted murder. The trial began a year ago. Several defendants defend their anti-fascist commitment and reject the allegations as exaggerated (3). Henry A. is silent.

What is not publicly known is how sick Henry A. was at the time. His lawyers have agreed that this will now be made public. They also pointed this out several times in the public hearing, including Henry A. himself. The 38-year-old suffers from a mental disorder that pushes him to attempt suicide when strokes of fate occur. He also suffered from ADHD, had to take the sedative Tavor and was undergoing therapy. Even before the trial begins, Henry A. attempts suicide and then goes to a clinic.

At the same time, his lawyers Martina Arndt and Felix Isensee are submitting an application to separate Henry A.'s proceedings from the trial - because the vast majority of the allegations do not affect him at all. The court rejects the application. Henry A. has to shorten the therapy he has started because of the trial. In court, his defense attorneys request that certain trial days end earlier so that Henry A. can attend an ADHD self-help group. That too is rejected. Henry A. then files a motion for bias against the judges. Also rejected.

And Henry A.'s condition continues to deteriorate. In mid-July he was forcibly admitted to a closed psychiatric ward. A week later there is another suicide attempt. According to the defense, a treating doctor then recommended a three-month break from the trial for Henry A. The defense lawyers again requested that Henry A.'s proceedings be separated: their client was no longer able to take part in the trial and the risk of suicide was real. The court then appoints an expert.

According to the defense, Henry A. is said to have told him that when he traveled from Leipzig to the court in Dresden, he saw himself “more under the train than in the train”. The expert nevertheless attests that A. is capable of negotiating: because he “basically has the ability to behave appropriately depending on the situation,” he states in a written statement. At the same time, doctors at Henry A.'s clinic advise him against going out and traveling unaccompanied.

And in fact, after the death of a close family member, another suicide attempt occurs. A court once again orders the 38-year-old to be compulsorily admitted to a clinic; he is no longer allowed to leave voluntarily. However, the court also explains afterwards: It continues to assume that Henry A. is capable of standing trial - and rejects a new application to separate the proceedings.

On August 12th, Henry A. was driven from the closed clinic to the Dresden courtroom on the day of the trial, brought there by police officers. They pick him up from the clinic early in the morning. Henry A. felt “really bad” that day, says defense attorney Felix Isensee. According to Isensee, the officers did not know that his client had taken Tavor and had to have emergency medication ready. The lawyer criticizes this in the courtroom as irresponsible and demands a new report on Henry A's ability to stand trial. The request is postponed by the Senate. At the end of the trial day, Henry A. is driven back to the clinic.

Three days later, on August 15th, Henry A. left the clinic. At noon, around 1:35 p.m., a man collided with an S-Bahn behind a bridge in the south of Leipzig and received life-threatening injuries. It's Henry A. Doctors save his life and put him in a coma in the hospital.

Defender Felix Isensee is stunned by the whole process. “This should never have happened like this,” he says. "It is completely incomprehensible why the court wanted to take the devil's action against our client. Even though it was clear to everyone how badly he was doing and how endangered he was." The rule of law stipulates that a defendant may not be made the object of state action, reminds Isensee. “I have strong doubts that this principle was adhered to in this case.”

The Dresden Higher Regional Court initially left an inquiry about the case unanswered. While Henry A. was still in a coma, he requested a new report on his ability to stand trial. Then, a week ago, the Senate finally decided: Henry A.'s trial would be separated from the trial. On Tuesday, only six defendants continued to be heard in Dresden. It is unclear whether and where a new trial against Henry A. will begin. For the time being, however, the question does not arise: according to defense attorney Isensee, he is still unresponsive in the hospital.

Note: Do you have suicidal thoughts? Then you should seek medical and psychotherapeutic help immediately. Please contact the nearest psychiatric clinic or, in acute cases, call the emergency number on 112. You can find a list of further offers at taz.de/suicidethoughts.