German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has rejected claims that the trial of an Irish pro-Palestine activist is a show trial, insisting that Germany's judiciary operates independently and according to international standards.
Mr Merz was asked about the case during a press conference in Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin. The visit is part of Ireland's six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.
Details of the case
Daniel Tatlow Devally, 32, from Dublin, is one of five people on trial in Germany charged with criminal damage against Elbit Systems, a company that supplies weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces.
A cross-party delegation of Irish politicians attended a hearing in Stuttgart last week and raised concerns about the conditions of his detention and the legal process, including that no recording or transcription of the trial is being kept. Two Irish politicians, Richard Boyd Barrett and Barry Ward, have described the trial as a 'show trial'.
Merz's response
Mr Merz said: 'I want to comment on that very simply, to say we have a judicial process in Germany, consular assistance is being provided. The accused are being provided with a legal defence team and I have absolutely no doubt that regardless of any nationality, judicial processes in Germany are conducted according to internationally valid standards.'
'There is no doubt about that. The German justice system is independent and is also obliged to follow legal standards, and there is no doubt that cases are handled according to those standards in Germany, regardless of the nationality of the accused.'
Mr Martin said the Government does not comment on 'live' cases but said consular assistance had been offered to the Irishman and his family. He noted that there had been six visits to Devally and a dedicated consular office in Munich assigned to support the citizen and family.
EU budget and Israel settlements
Mr Merz was also asked about Germany's opposition to a proposed ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements. He said Germany is 'very concerned' about settlement activities in the West Bank but believes general sanctions against Israel are the wrong approach. He cited Germany's 'special relation to the state of Israel' as reason for not joining sanctions.
Mr Martin said there was 'general agreement' at EU level over the need to stop violence and illegal settlements in the West Bank, calling the situation 'outrageous'.
Budget cuts and EU priorities
In his opening statement, Mr Merz said Germany expects 'cuts across the board' worth several hundreds of billions of euros in the EU budget. He stated Germany 'do not agree with the current proposals of the commission' and that 'an excessive expansion of the European budget is not possible for us'.
He also criticised plans to create 2,500 additional posts for the EU, saying 'we will not accept that'. He called for a 'clear reduction in bureaucracy' and prioritisation of digitalisation, energy and decarbonisation projects.
Mr Martin said Ireland's task as EU president is to listen carefully to all member states and make a new proposal in October.
Berlin Pride attack
The Taoiseach also expressed his 'deepest condolences' for those killed and injured in an attack at Berlin Pride at the weekend, saying such attacks should not be tolerated.
