Justice instead of revenge for ex-terrorist

Christian Klar, former member of the left-wing extremist terrorist organisation the Red Army Faction (RAF) is to be released from prison after 26 years behind bars. The Süddeutsche Zeitung approves: "Klar has not professed remorse. But the law does not require the perpetrator to become a repentant sinner in prison. Even felons who show little sense of responsibility for their crimes are to be given a chance to live out the rest of their lives in freedom once they have served their sentence and are considered no longer dangerous. Human dignity demands this, and the judges have respected this without letting anger or overzealousness cloud their judgement. There will be more than a few people who cannot understand why he is being released. In our society there is a craving for punishment that goes far beyond law and justice. The task of judges is therefore not only to lock criminals away but also to unlock the doors for them. The public must now unlock its doors for thoughts about a humane criminal law."

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