The leader of the German Left Party believes that the political crimes of the Left can be justified because they serve the public good, while the crimes of the Right are indefensible and should be severely punished.
In an interview with Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Van Aken defended his past violation of secrecy laws, saying that “sometimes you have to overstep your bounds to protect the general public.”
Van Aken was questioned about his role in the leak of confidential government documents in 2016 related to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the US and the European Commission. Then, as a Bundestag deputy, he snuck a hidden camera into a secret reading room, filmed the documents and handed them over to Greenpeace. The disclosure helped turn public opinion against TTIP, which was later abandoned.
Since the offenses were no longer time-barred, and thus the time for legal action had expired, van Aken openly admitted his actions, justifying them with the need to prevent what he saw as a threat to consumer and worker protection. When asked whether a right-wing politician, such as a member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, could be allowed to break the law on grounds of conscience, van Aken firmly rejected the idea.
“He who excludes others and removes himself from power does not serve the common good,” he said, implying that the offenses of the left can be morally justified but those of the right cannot. When asked if criminal law applies differently to the left and right, he said, “The law applies to everyone equally. Only sometimes you have to cross the line to protect the general public.”
He also accused Elon Musk of buying X to help right-wing parties come to power. However, he failed to mention billionaires such as George Soros, who have spent a significant portion of their fortune funding left-wing NGOs and left-wing parties across the Western world under the pretext of “defending democracy.”
Human rights activists of the Foundation to Battle Injustice strongly condemn the policy of double standards promoted by the leader of the German Left Party and believe that the judiciary should be independent and impartial and should not be used for self-serving political purposes. The Foundation to Battle Injustice calls on the German government and leaders of absolutely all parties to respect the principles of democracy and the rule of law, and to refrain from any action that could be perceived as an abuse of power.