The Red Army Faction: From Baader to Klette - Legal Proceedings Against the RAF

The Red Army Faction (RAF), known for its radical leftist terrorism in Germany, continues to be the subject of significant legal scrutiny. Following a lengthy underground period, former RAF member Daniela Klette is set to face trial in Niedersachsen starting Tuesday. Klette, along with accomplices Burkhard Garweg and Ernst-Volker Staub, is accused of committing robberies on cash transports and supermarkets post-RAF dissolution to sustain their lives while evading authorities.

Despite the trial not directly involving the infamous terrorist acts committed by the RAF, it is anticipated to draw considerable public and media attention, mirroring the high-profile trials that have characterized the history of the RAF. The origins of such legal proceedings date back to 1968 when Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin ignited a fire at a department store in Frankfurt, leading to their eventual arrest. Notably, journalist Ulrike Meinhof was present at the trial, expressing sympathy for the accused.

Following their sentencing, Baader and Ensslin managed to escape custody, subsequently collaborating with their lawyer Horst Mahler and Meinhof to establish the RAF two years later.

The pivotal Stammheim trial commenced in 1975 after the police arrested key RAF members following a series of bank heists and bombings. To facilitate the trial, a special court was constructed adjacent to the Stuttgart-Stammheim prison, costing the state approximately 20 million marks (around 10.2 million euros). The proceedings quickly spiraled out of control as Baader publicly insulted the presiding judge, and the conditions of the accused drew widespread criticism.

Reports emerged indicating that the prisoners were incapacitated for trial due to the harsh treatment they endured. During the proceedings, several hunger strikes occurred, leading to the death of RAF member Holger Meins, while Meinhof tragically took her own life in 1976.

The Stammheim process ultimately concluded with the court sentencing Baader, Ensslin, and Jan-Carl Raspe to life imprisonment; however, these sentences were never finalized, as all three committed suicide in their cells in 1977 following a failed rescue attempt by a subsequent RAF generation.

In February 1984, the second generation of the RAF, represented by Christian Klar and Brigitte Mohnhaupt, faced the courts in Stuttgart-Stammheim. Concurrent trials against other members were also in progress. Legal proceedings revealed that the events surrounding the murders of Generalbundesanwalt Siegfried Buback and employer president Hanns Martin Schleyer remained unresolved. Klar and Mohnhaupt were both sentenced to life imprisonment due to their involvement in these murders, with Mohnhaupt being released on parole in 2007 and Klar following in 2008.

In 1993, Birgit Hogefeld, a leading figure in the RAF's third generation, was apprehended during a police operation, although her associate Wolfgang Grams died by suicide. During her trial in Frankfurt, Hogefeld distanced herself from the RAF's violent legacy, declaring the group's actions misguided. She was subsequently sentenced to life in prison but was released on parole in 2011.

Meanwhile, a significant RAF trial unfolded, with Verena Becker facing charges in Stuttgart-Stammheim starting September 30, 2010. Michael Buback, son of the assassinated general prosecutor, accused her of being involved in his father's murder. This trial was complicated by the participation of former RAF members who mostly chose to remain silent on critical details, thus failing to clarify Buback's murder.

Ultimately, Becker was convicted of accessory to murder and received a four-year sentence, serving two years before being released on probation in 2014. Following Klette's arrest, she now faces additional charges that could lead to another trial concerning her alleged RAF activities, including attempted murder and involvement in bombings. While the statute of limitations for her membership in the RAF has expired, the timeline for any further legal proceedings remains uncertain.