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Fischer Testifies in Terrorist's Trial
On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer took the stand at the trial of a German ex-terrorist facing murder charges for a 1975 attack on an OPEC conference in Vienna, Austria.
Fischer was flanked by bodyguards as he entered the state courtroom in the city where he once engaged in violent battles with police. Nearly three decades later, some 150 officers were deployed for Fischer's security and a police helicopter flew overhead. There were no signs of protests despite a renewed discussion about his past and whether it should disqualify him from his post.
Fischer knew ex-terrorist Hans-Joachim Klein during his student radical days in Frankfurt in the 1970s. They both were members in what was called a ''Putzgruppe,'' or ''cleaning group,'' that would occupy and defend abandoned buildings. Fischer was testifying as a character witness.
Klein has referred to Fischer earlier in the trial as ''my friend,'' a comment that attracted little attention given that Fischer hasn't tried to hide his past. In fact, it's part of the mystique that makes him one of Germany's most popular politicians.
Fischer acknowledges being at the protest but denies throwing flaming bottles. Prosecutors have said he is not a suspect in the attack.
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