Left-Extremist Endeavours

Law enforcement measures
against presumed
RAF members in Vienna
Long prison terms for AIZ
Members
Arrest of a presumed RZ
member in Frankfurt/ Main
formationsstelle Kurdistan" (ISKU - "Information Office Kurdistan")
- which in late January was moved from Cologne to Berlin -
militant left-wing extremists looked after presumed PKK supporters
detained in Germany, organized so-called human rights delegations
to Turkey, and agitated against the Federal Government
on account of its alleged support for Turkey in the fight against
the PKK. To some of them - including individuals who, at a high
personal risk, stayed in the Kurdish settlement area for training or
for operations with the PKK guerrilla force - the PKK keeps its
model role for their own revolutionary fight. Thus, also the Action
Committee 'Liberty for Abdullah Öcalan' confirmed in a flier
distributed in June:
"The struggle pursued by the PKK in Kurdistan, in Turkey and
in Europe against the Turkish State and NATO imperialism is
our struggle as well. ... thus, also in the FRG, our place is at
the side of the Kurdish liberation movement. ... However, the
main task facing us is ... to build up an anti-imperialist
movement against all wars of oppression which are being
waged or might be waged in future."
However, this spectrum failed to win members/supporters for the
desired build-up of new revolutionary structures.
As expected, it was this spectrum that reacted most to the law
enforcement measures in Vienna against two persons who since
the 1980s had been wanted, under a warrant of arrest, for presumed
RAF membership. On 15 September, Andrea KLUMP and
Horst Ludwig MEYER were, after a short pursuit, apprehended by
the police in Vienna. Local residents had previously alerted the
police to the presence of a couple whom they had observed for
some time and who had appeared conspicuous to them. In the
course of a shoot-out, following the police’s attempt to establish
identities, Horst Ludwig MEYER was fatally injured while his companion
Andrea KLUMP was arrested without suffering any injuries
105) .
On 1 September, the State Protection Senate of the Düsseldorf
Higher Regional Court of Appeal (OLG) sentenced the members
of the "Antiimperialistische Zelle" (AIZ - "Anti-Imperialistic Cell"),
Bernhard FALK and Michael STEINAU, to prison terms of 13 and
nine years, respectively, on four charges of attempted murder,
causing a detonation by explosives and conspiracy to commit an
offence. Following extensive preliminary investigations by the
Offices for the Protection of the Constitution, FALK and STEINAU
had been arrested in Witzhave (Schleswig-Holstein) on 25 February
1996 106) .
On 13 October, a presumed former RZ member was arrested in
Frankfurt/Main. He is charged with having taken part in the
preparation of the attack committed in Vienna in December 1975
�����