¹ Commission, Proposal for a Council Framework Decision amending Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism, Com 650, at 6 (2007).Google Scholar

² Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (1977), ETS No. 196, available online at: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/196.htm (last accessed: 31 August 2012).Google Scholar

³ Europe Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, 16.5.2005, ETS No. 090, available online at: http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/090.htm (31 August 2012).Google Scholar

⁴ On the new German legislation as a response to the terrorist threat see Christoph Safferling, Terror and Law -German Responses to 9/11, 4 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE 1152 et seq. (2006).Google Scholar

⁵ On the influence of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism and the Council Framework Decision 2008/919/JHA in Great Britain see CLIVE WALKER, THE ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION para. 6.56 (2^nd ed. 2009); ALUN JONES, RUPERT BOWERS, HUGO LODGE, BLACKSTONE'S GUIDE TO THE TERRORISM ACT at para. 1.20, 2.02 et seq. (2006); David Barnum, Indirect incitement and freedom of speech in Anglo-American law, 3 EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW REVIEW 259 et seq. (2006); on the influence in Spain, see Manuel Cancio Meliá, Delitos de organización: criminalidad organizada común y delitos de terrorismo (Crimes of organization: common organized crime and terrorist offenses), in ESTUDIOS SOBRE LAS REFORMAS DEL CÓDIGO PENAL 662 et seq. (DÍAZ-MAROTO Y VILLAREJO ed., 2011).Google Scholar

⁶ It was the first one introduced in the context of anti-terrorism law. It was implemented by the “34. Strafrechtsänderungsgesetz vom 22. August 2002” (BGBl. I S. 3390); see further MATTHIAS KRAUß, in LEIPZIGER KOMMENTAR STGB (LEIPZIG PENAL CODE COMMENTARY, HEINRICH LAUFHÜTTE, RUTH RISSING-VAN SAAN & KLAUS TIEDEMANN eds., 12^th ed.) 430 (2009).Google Scholar

⁷ S. 129b StGB regulates the application of German national criminal law, see, on the problematic relation with the general sections on jurisdiction, s. 3 et seq. StGB, see MARK ZÖLLER, TERRORISMUSSTRAFRECHT (Criminal Terrorist: a Guide) 333 et seq. (2009). On Al Qaida as a terrorist group under German law, see Christoph Safferling, Prosecuting Terrorism Financing in Germany: Bundesgerichtshof (German Federal Court of Justice), Judgement of 14 August 2009 – 3 StR 552/08, 11 GERM. L. J. 1296 et seq. (2010), available online at: http://www.germanlawjournal.com/index.php?pageID=11&artID=1298 (last accessed: 31 August 2012).Google Scholar

⁸ Adopted by the Council on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on making it a criminal offence to participate in a criminal organisation in the Member States of the European Union (1), 98/733/JHA.Google Scholar

⁹ MATTHIAS KRAUß, supra note 6.Google Scholar

¹⁰ See Gesetz zur Umsetzung des Rahmenbeschlusses des Rates vom 13. Juni 2002 zur Terrorismusbekämpfung und zur Änderung andere Gesetze vom 22 Dezember 2003 (Act to implement the Framework Decision of the Council of 13 June 2002 on combating terrorism and amending other laws of 22 December 2003) Bundesgesetzblatt (FEDERAL LAW GAZETTE) BGBl I, 2836.Google Scholar

¹¹ MATTHIAS KRAUß, supra note 6. 390 et seq. Google Scholar

¹² For all cited offences of the German Criminal Code the official translation by the Federal Ministry of Justice is used; Bundesministerium der Justiz, German Criminal Code, available online at: http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/index.html (last accessed: 31 August 2012).Google Scholar

¹³ See. s. 129a (2) “…. [I]f one of the offences stipulated in Nos. 1 to 5 is intended to seriously intimidate the population, to unlawfully coerce a public authority or an international organisation through the use of force or the threat of the use of force, or to significantly impair or destroy the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a state or an international organisation, and which, given the nature or consequences of such offences, may seriously damage a state or an international organisation.”Google Scholar

¹⁴ BGBl. I p. 2836.Google Scholar

¹⁵ Gesetz zur Verfolgung der Vorbereitung von schweren staatsgefährdenden Gewalttaten (The preparation of severe subversive violence), GVVG; see Anna Oehmichen, Terrorism and Anti-Terror Legislation: The Terrorised Legislator? para. 8.5 (2009); Mark Zöller, Terrorismustrafrecht (Terrorist Criminal law) 394 et seq., 562 et seq. (2009). The new offences are s. 89a StGB “preparation of a serious violent offence endangering the state,” s. 89b StGB “establishing contacts for the purpose of committing a serious violent offence endangering the state” and s. 91 StGB “encouraging the commission of a serious violent offence endangering the state.”Google Scholar

¹⁶ See Deutscher Bundestag, Gesetzentwurf der Bundesregierung: Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Verfolgung der Vorbereitung von schweren staatsgefährdenden Gewalttaten (The federal government bill: Draft law for prosecution of preparation of severe subversive violence) No. 16/12428, 1, available online at: http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/16/124/1612428.pdf (last accessed: 31 August 2012).Google Scholar

¹⁷ One case by the Kammergericht Berlin was especially referred to in order to stress the necessity of the law: The accused had planned bomb attacks against U.S. and Israeli institutions, and had already made preparations to that effect. He had, among other things, participated in a terrorist training camp and already purchased several items that could serve to build a bomb. Nevertheless, in the opinion of the court he could neither be convicted under s. 129a StGB – for lack of the structures necessary to have a terrorist organisation – nor under s. 30 para 2 StGB – as the necessary specification of the planned action had not been given. He was therefore only convicted for violating the Arms Act and for tax evasion. See Deutscher Bundestag, Gesetzentwurf der Fraktionen der CDU/CSU und SPD: Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Verfolgung der Vorbereitung von schweren staatsgefährdenden Gewalttaten (bill by the CDU / CSU and SPD: Draft law to pursue the preparation of heavy seditious violence) No. 16/11735, 9 et seq. available online at: http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/16/117/1611735.pdf (last accessed 31 August 2012).Google Scholar

¹⁸ See Deutscher Bundestag, BT-Drs. No. 16/12428, supra note 16, at 1; the Council Framework Decision itself refers to the Council of Europe Convention, see 2008/919/JHA, 2.Google Scholar

¹⁹ See the introductions to the Council Framework Decision 2008/919/JHA MN 3 “The terrorist threat has grown and rapidly evolved in recent years, […]” and MN 6 “a global response is required to address terrorism.”Google Scholar

²⁰ The main difference is that the Convention usually refers to the “terrorist offence” whereas the Framework Decision refers to the “offences listed in Article 1(1)(a) to (h)” though it would go beyond the scope of this paper to discuss the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism and the European Framework Decision 2008/919/JHA in their full dimension.Google Scholar

²¹ In addition to s. 89a StGB, it also introduced the new s. 89b StGB “Establishing contacts for the purpose of committing a serious violent offence endangering the state” and s. 91 StGB “Encouraging the commission of a serious violent offence endangering the state” into the German Criminal Code (StGB).Google Scholar

²² In contrast to the Council of Europe Convention, Art. 3 (1) c specifies the included terrorist offences by referring to the regulations in the same Framework Decision: “training for terrorism” shall mean “providing instruction in the making or use of explosives, firearms or other weapons or noxious or hazardous substances, or in other specific methods or techniques, for the purpose of committing one of the offences listed in Article 1(1)(a) to (h), knowing that the skills provided are intended to be used for this purpose.”Google Scholar

²³ Similar problems pose Art. 3 (2) lit. a “public provocation to commit a terrorist offence” and “recruitment for terrorism” b EFD.Google Scholar

²⁴ Only in the case of murder, s. 211 StGB; life sentence means in Germany a minimum imprisonment of 15 years, afterwards there is the possibility of a release on parole, s. 57a StGB.Google Scholar

²⁵ See Deutscher Bundestag, BT-Drs. No. 16/12428, supra note 16, at 14; Detlev Sternberg-Lieben, in StGB, s. 89a MN 9 (Adolf Schönke& Schröder (eds.), 28^th ed., 2010).Google Scholar

²⁶ Sternberg-Lieben, in: StGB, s. 89a MN 9 (Schönke/Schröder eds. 28. ed. 2010).Google Scholar

²⁷ Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz; see Deutscher Bundestag, BT-Drs. No. 16/12428, supra note 16, at 12.Google Scholar

²⁸ Nikolaos Gazeas, Thomas Grosse-Wilde & Alexandra Kießling, Die neuen Tatbestände im Staatsschutzstrafrecht, 11 Versuch einer ersten Auslegung der §§ 89a, 89b und 91 StGB (The new criminal offenses in the state protection- a first attempt to interpret of § § 89a, 89b and 91 of the Penal Code), 29 (11) Neue Zeitschrift für Strafrecht (NStZ) 595 (2009); Bettina Weißer, Über den Umgang des Strafrechts mit terroristischen Bedrohungslagen (About the use of criminal law to terrorist threats), 121 Zeitschrift für die gesamte Strafrechtswissenschaft (ZStW) 131, 148 (2009).Google Scholar

²⁹ S. 89a (1) in conjunction with (2) StGB.Google Scholar

³⁰ Paeffgen, Hans-Ulrich, in Nomos Kommentar StGB, S. 89a MN 20 et seq. (Ulfrid Neumann, Hans-Ulrich Paeffgen eds., 3^rd ed., 2010); disagreeing Detlev Sternberg-Lieben, in StGB, s. 89a MN 17 (Adolf Schönke & Horst Schröder eds. 28^th ed., 2010).Google Scholar

³¹ Not to leave a wrong impression, it is the usual intend-requirement in German Criminal Law and also applies to other grave offences like manslaughter and murder.Google Scholar

³² Kristian Kühl in StGB, s. 15 MN 23 (KARL LACKNER, KRISTIAN KÜHL eds., 27^th ed. 2011); Detlev Sternberg-Lieben, in StGB, s. 15 MN 72 (Adolf Schönke& Horst Schröder eds., 28^th ed. 2010).Google Scholar

³³ S. 30 (2) A person who declares his willingness or who accepts the offer of another or who agrees with another to commit or abet the commission of a felony shall be liable under the same terms.Google Scholar

³⁴ See BGH NStZ 2007, at 697.Google Scholar

³⁵ Art. 7 (1) Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism; Art. 3 (1) c Council Framework Decision 2008/919/JHA.Google Scholar

³⁶ Cf. Zimmermann, Frank, Tendenzen der Strafrechtsangleichung in der EU – dargestellt anhand der Bestrebungen zur Bekämpfung von Terrorismus, Rassismus und illegaler Beschäftigung (Trends in criminal law harmonization in the EU – illustrated by the efforts to combat terrorism, racism and illegal employment) 1 ZIS 1, 2 (2009).Google Scholar

³⁷ An example that, to an extent, has become obsolete in Germany, because the draft to compulsory military service has recently been deferred.Google Scholar

³⁸ See only on the discussion about the Katrin Gierhake, GVVG: Gierhake, Zur geplanten Einführung neuer Straftatbestände wegen der Vorbereitung terroristischer Straftaten (On the planned introduction of new offenses because of the preparation of terrorist offenses) 9 ZIS 397 (2008); Gazeas, Grosse-Wild & Kießling, supra note 28, at 593; Mark Zöller, Willkommen in Absurdistan – Neue Straftatbestände zur Bekämpfung des Terorrismus (Welcome to Absurdistan – New offenses to combatTerrorism), 11 Goltdammer's Archiv für Strafrecht (GA) 607 (2010), with further references.Google Scholar

³⁹ As seen, this can be observed in the criminalization of s. 89a StGB. See also Frank Zimmermann, Tendenzen der Strafrechtsangleichung in der EU – dargestellt anhand der Bestrebungen zur Bekämpfung von Terrorismus, Rassismus und illegaler Beschäftigung (Trends in criminal law harmonization in the EU – illustrated by the efforts to combat terrorism, racism and illegal employment), 1 ZIS 6, 10 (2009). Whether this can be seen as a general development is certainly a question that needs to be examined further.Google Scholar