Pretty much what the title says.
OTL, Germany tried to prosecute officials from the now defunct East Germany for their actions over the past decades. But the movement to do so sort of lost steam almost immediately after it began. Erich Honecker, the main figure to go after, had fled the country to the Chilean embassy in Russia and stayed there for a few years. Until he was extradited to Germany, but his ill-health got the German government to release him on compassionate grounds before any conviction could happen. A few other high ranking officials were prosecuted, but they got relatively lenient terms. Never mind almost all got released after serving only a few years at most.
The pinnacle of trying to ensure accountability for these crimes were the trials of border guards who fatally shot those who fled; most were given suspended sentences and were more symbolic than anything else.
So, what would need to change in order for Germany to thoroughly prosecute the activities of the GDR. By "thoroughly" I mean the German government should:
- go after not just all major the high ranking officials of East German government, but even the mid ranking ones as well
-prosecute for more than just the border shootings and should include the various violations of human rights within the regime(East Germany had ratified several human rights accords)
-ensure that the convicted are given just punishment(like some receving life in prison), and not just a slap on the wrist.
OTL, Germany tried to prosecute officials from the now defunct East Germany for their actions over the past decades. But the movement to do so sort of lost steam almost immediately after it began. Erich Honecker, the main figure to go after, had fled the country to the Chilean embassy in Russia and stayed there for a few years. Until he was extradited to Germany, but his ill-health got the German government to release him on compassionate grounds before any conviction could happen. A few other high ranking officials were prosecuted, but they got relatively lenient terms. Never mind almost all got released after serving only a few years at most.
The pinnacle of trying to ensure accountability for these crimes were the trials of border guards who fatally shot those who fled; most were given suspended sentences and were more symbolic than anything else.
So, what would need to change in order for Germany to thoroughly prosecute the activities of the GDR. By "thoroughly" I mean the German government should:
- go after not just all major the high ranking officials of East German government, but even the mid ranking ones as well
-prosecute for more than just the border shootings and should include the various violations of human rights within the regime(East Germany had ratified several human rights accords)
-ensure that the convicted are given just punishment(like some receving life in prison), and not just a slap on the wrist.