Politician: Call Snowden to Germany as witness

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20130704-50697.html

by NonEUCitizen • 13 years ago

106 17 13 years ago

temp5207• 13 years ago

Sure, let's grant him a safe passage to our jurisdiction so he could testify in a trial. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hus

9h1d9j809s2• 13 years ago

Very funny. That was in 1414 in the Holy Roman Empire (of the German Nation). How is this related to the Federal Republic of Germany in 2013?

digitalengineer• 13 years ago

We've come a long way since 1414:

"After a few weeks, his opponents succeeded in imprisoning him, on the strength of a rumor that he intended to flee".

"...the person who promised 'save passage'.. was told that he could not be bound by promises to a heretic"

"Hus was not allowed an advocate for his defense"

"..he remained [in the dungeon] for 73 days, separated from his friends, chained day and night, poorly fed, and ill."

(Edit: and he was burned at the stake).

pivnicek• 13 years ago

Haha. Very good play. A history lesson no bohemian will ever forget.

1337biz• 13 years ago

Oh come on, you didn't have to create a temp account for that. This is one of the reason why I am coming to hn - to learn something that goes far beyond the realm of regular discussions.

alan_cx• 13 years ago

Don't know how separated the German judiciary is from its government, which seems contradictory on its position, but for Snowden to accept some sort of German judicial protection would be on hell of a gamble. Could be a great solution, but could also result in a one way ticket to the US. At least Germany has a reasonable and comparatively open political and legal system, which doesn't rely on politics and cash in the bank.

On the face of it, if the Germans did go this way, in the way suggested, I think I'd take it. But Im willing to bet nothing is quite that simple, or likely.

9h1d9j809s2• 13 years ago

It's a gamble no matter what he does.

Of all Western countries, this is probably the best choice he can make.

contingencies3• 13 years ago

New Zealand would have been a fair option, they have pretty anti-US sentiment historically and that has been recently fanned by the MAFIAA's raid on Mr. Dotcom's house.

wwhitman• 13 years ago

"Please step into the courtroom Mr. Snowden."

"That's an airplane."

"Yeah"

donretag• 13 years ago

Speaking of courts, I have been wondering about another legal angle. What happens to someone that commits a crime in the transit area? What would happen if Snowden punched someone? Would they be escorted out of the transit area or do transit areas have detention centers for criminals (crimes against the local laws)? Can they be tried in court and imprisoned? Can someone commit a misdemeanor, got to jail for a small amount of time, and then be escorted to the border?

w_t_payne• 13 years ago

Don't know about Germany, but in the UK the government gets it's backside whupped by the legal system on a regular basis.

Politician: Call Snowden to Germany as witness

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