Amnesty International Criticizes Germany's Human Rights Approach Amidst Domestic Police Controversies

Amnesty International's latest annual report has sharply criticized Germany for prioritizing security and economic interests over international law and human rights protections. Presented by Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty Germany, the report condemns the German government's foreign policy for undermining the post-World War II international legal framework, describing it as a "hatchet" to international law.

The report comes alongside documented incidents of police violence and contested state responses to protests within Germany. In February 2025, Berlin police insisted that speeches at a Palestine solidarity demonstration be conducted only in German or English; when protesters chanted in Hebrew and Arabic, police violently dissolved the event. Similar police brutality was witnessed in March 2025 when a woman was struck repeatedly during a peaceful demonstration. Police violence was also reported at Nakba Day protests and the Internationalist Queer Pride event in July 2025.

Controversies extended to legal rulings and deportations related to protests. The Berlin administrative court ruled in March 2025 that police use of pain compliance techniques to disperse peaceful climate demonstrators was illegal. Moreover, deportations were threatened against four foreign nationals from the EU and the USA due to their participation in Palestinian solidarity protests, despite a lack of criminal convictions. Leaked emails revealed pressure from Berlin's Interior Administration on immigration authorities to proceed with expulsions, though these measures were temporarily halted by urgent legal appeals.

In May 2025, police claimed an officer was severely injured by demonstrators at a Nakba Day protest, prompting demands by police officials and politicians for expanded police powers against Palestine demonstrators. However, an independent investigation later confirmed the officer had self-inflicted the injury during altercations.

Further, the Berlin administrative court deemed unlawful the 2024 dissolution of the Palestine Congress.

Duchrow emphasized that many EU countries, Germany especially, must adopt stronger responses to human rights violations worldwide, rather than appeasing authoritarian tendencies. Amnesty's report highlights a global crisis exacerbated by governments employing military force and suppressing peaceful protests, with Germany's stance contributing to this troubling trend.