Former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen, is suing his former agency to prevent them from collecting data about him. He believes that he is being targeted as a “government opponent” and that individuals with dissenting views should not be labeled as enemies of the constitution. Maaßen filed a lawsuit against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution with the Administrative Court in Cologne. The court has not yet confirmed the receipt of the lawsuit.
In January, it was revealed that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had stored data on Maaßen in their information system on right-wing extremism. Maaßen accused Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser of using the domestic intelligence service to monitor government opponents, which he believes goes against her duties and damages democracy. Maaßen stated that he filed the lawsuit because he believes Faeser should be removed from her position. The lawsuit consists of 40 pages of text and 165 pages of attachments, which Maaßen has made available to the press.
The lawsuit challenges the classification of Maaßen as a surveillance target by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and demands that they cease collecting, evaluating, and storing information, personal data, and documents related to him. The document accuses the agency of acting unlawfully and unconstitutionally, as their rationale for targeting Maaßen is allegedly based on irrelevant actions by third parties, such as sharing videos on social media. Maaßen is the national chairman of the Werteunion party, which was founded in mid-February and intends to run in the upcoming regional elections in eastern Germany later this year.
Maaßen’s decision to sue his former agency has sparked a debate about the use of surveillance and intelligence agencies to monitor dissenting voices in political opposition. Many have raised concerns about the implications for freedom of speech and democracy when government agencies are used to target individuals based on their political views. Some have expressed support for Maaßen’s efforts to challenge the surveillance practices of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, while others argue that such actions are necessary to protect national security and combat extremism.
The lawsuit is seen as a significant move by Maaßen to push back against what he perceives as government overreach in monitoring and labeling individuals based on their political beliefs. The legal battle is likely to continue for some time, with implications for the broader debate around surveillance and intelligence gathering in Germany. Regardless of the outcome, Maaßen’s lawsuit has drawn attention to the issue of government surveillance and its potential impact on democracy and individual freedoms.
