"The rule of law has holes in Germany" – political

The father of Abdulkerim Şimşek was the first victim of the NSU. Today, he is a co-complainant in the Munich trial. In a conversation, he makes serious allegations to the investigators and explains why he is now suing the Federal Republic.

Interview by Oliver Gupta

Enver Şimşek was the first murder victim of the National Socialist Underground (NSU). On September 11, 2000, the terrorist group of the far right shot dead the florist in Nuremberg. Son of Şimşeks Abdulkerim was then 13 years old, he is now a co-complainant in the Munich case against Beate Zschäpe and the alleged badistants NSU. In the interview of SZ Şimşek recounts how much the killing of his father affected the family. He accuses the investigators of having superficially clarified the crimes of the neo-Nazi group

SZ: Mr. Şimşek, the NSU trial sentences fall in a few hours. Are you happy it's over after five years?

Abdulkerim Şimşek: On the one hand, this day is a big relief for me and my family. At first, I did not think it would lead us that way. In the meantime we are completely finished. Of course, I would find it positive if the defendants get the maximum sentence. It was also very important to me that the police at the court said that my father was innocent. On the other hand, I am very disappointed with the process.

Why?

There are still no answers to the most important questions for my family. We want to know the exact circumstances of my father's murder: why did he become a victim? How did the authors proceed? And who are the other NSU helpers?

In addition to lead defendant Beate Zschäpe, four other alleged accomplices were charged. You think the neo-Nazi group was even bigger?

I'm sure of it. The NSU murdered my father and two other men in Nuremberg. Someone with local knowledge spotted all the victims. One found a note with information for the authors. This scout and other NSU helpers are still circulating freely here. It bothers me a lot.

Do you think that the trial should have lasted even longer?

No, but the investigators and the court should have acted differently. It has only been thinned superficially. I am really upset and sad how that ended. Whenever we asked the co-complainant questions about the network, the court blocked him. In addition, many files were destroyed in which were found valuable information

Other records are still blocked

Yes, because of the "secret in the interest of the state ". I think it would be in the great interest of the state to really clear up the murders and attacks of the NSU and to expose its own mistakes. Think of the V who put a lot of money on the scene of the right. The rule of law has holes in Germany. If constitutional protection had worked seriously from the beginning, the three NSU members would have been arrested early. Then my father would live again.

When he was murdered in September 2000, you were 13 years old. Is it true that they first told you that your father had an accident?

Yes. At the time, I was in a boarding school in Saarbrücken, where a teacher woke me up early in the morning and told me that my father had been injured in the hospital. Then they put me alone on the train to Nuremberg. My uncle came to pick me up at the station and said that my father had had a "small accident".

Did you know that it was worse?

Yes, especially when I met my mother who was crying in the hospital. Yet no one has told me the truth. It was then said that my father had beaten and that he was in the intensive care unit. After a few hours, I was allowed to join him with my mother and sister. I saw him lying with eight bullet wounds. It was the worst day of my life

His father died two days later without regaining consciousness.

After that, a period of great trouble began for us. My father was an independent flower wholesaler, he was the one who earned the money. When he left, we quickly found ourselves in financial difficulties. The worst was suspicion.

At first, the police believed that his father had been involved in criminal activities and had been murdered.

None of that was correct! The investigators showed my mother a picture of a blonde woman, claiming that it was her lover, with whom he even had children. My mother was shocked and tore a picture of my father. Then she learned about the invented lover and the alleged children, because she wanted to cry with her for my dad. It was only then that the police wanted to test my mother. As we now know, we have even been bugued. It was very stressful for us as a family. For eleven years, I tried to keep the secret about the fact that my father had been shot.

In November 2011, the NSU opened. It became clear that the far-right terrorist cell murdered your father and nine other people. How did the state help afterwards?

Like the other victims, we had 5,000 euros, that was all. It is worth while the police and constitutional protection have failed. But he does not really admit it. Therefore, we now pursue the Federal Republic, the Free State of Bavaria and the State of Thuringia. It is not a question of money, it is a matter of justice. By blocking the Enlightenment, the state protects badistants from NSU killers.

You said in your plea before the court that you were not paying tribute to the accused.

Yes, with the exception of Carsten Schultze, who plausibly regrets his complicity and contributed to his statements in the Age of Enlightenment.

And if the verdict is today, do not you look at Beate Zschäpe?

Maybe I'll do it, but after that, I want to finish this chapter. This process took me a lot of time and energy. I would like to retire and take care of my family. My little girl was three years old a few days ago. She should have more time with her father