Report from Mickie Lynn in Albany:

Here’s the latest news about the Ramstein drone relay station case brought to the court yesterday. I’ve only excerpted the replies of the lawyers and of Faisal bin Ali Jaber. You can read the whole article at the link below.

I had been searching for news of the outcome or continuation of the court case in Cologne, Germany yesterday. This is not news that we all wanted to hear. But all is not lost at this point since the appeal will be allowed and this gives lawyers another chance to pursue the case and for Germans and the rest of the European Union to learn more about the situation at Ramstein AFB.

Judge says German government not obliged to prohibit US from using Ramstein airbase for relaying drone control signalling but allows campaigners to appeal.   Excellent quotes below – Continue reading Another Report on the Hearing in Cologne →

Report from Elsa Rassbach in Germany:

The Yemeni drone strike survivors did not prevail in the German court case in Cologne yesterday. We did not anticipate that they would prevail in a lower court in such an important matter. However, there was some precedent-setting progress:

a) The court ruled that the Yemeni survivors, who are not German citizens, have standing to sue the German government in the German courts. As far as we know, this is the first NATO country that has granted drone victims who are not citizens such standing.

b) The court stated that the media reports (see Intercept) about the essential role of Ramstein in the U.S. drone killings are “plausible,” the first time that this has been officially acknowledged by authorities Germany.

c) The court immediately stated that the plaintiffs could appeal, and they will do so as soon as the full written decision of the court in Cologne is available (in about three months).

I was there in the court yesterday, interviewed the attorneys, and will report more as soon as I am able. Meanwhile there have been many news reports in German on the court case (often critical of the court’s decision) and here is a good one in English:

Court dismisses claim of German complicity in Yemeni drone killings

Dear Friends,

Below is a statement from Faisal bin Ali Jaber, who together with his family members has brought a case against the German government for allowing the U.S. to use Ramstein Air Base for the U.S. drone killings.  On the eve of the first court hearing in Germany regarding this case, he thanks us on behalf of his family and other drone victims for our solidarity efforts.

Please if possible read his statement aloud at your events and  distribute and publish his statement as widely as you can!  Continue reading A Statement from Faisal bin Ali Jaber →