+++ Fall Findeisen: Anfrage einer unabhängigen Prozessbeobachtung +++
To: Mr. Alan Melzer, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
Date: April 19, 2026
Dear Mr. Melzer,
We are writing to you with urgent and profound concern regarding the ongoing pre-trial detention and treatment of Ms. Johanna Findeisen in Germany.
Ms. Findeisen has been held in pre-trial detention since May 2023. Her trial began in May 2024 and is scheduled to continue with more than 70 court days in 2026 alone, with continuation into 2027 already foreseeable. Such an extraordinary duration raises serious concerns under Article 5(3) and Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
According to her defense counsel, Professor Martin Schwab, there is no substantiated evidence in the case files supporting the serious accusations brought against her. To date, no court-confirmed evidence has been presented that would justify the severity of the charges or the length of detention. Ms. Findeisen has exercised her right not to make a statement.
The background of the case further raises concern. Ms. Findeisen’s known actions include, among others, expressing condolences to a representative of the Russian Federation at a memorial event commemorating an air disaster in which numerous victims, including many Russian children, lost their lives. In this context, questions arise as to whether the subsequent escalation of measures against her is fully proportionate and justified.
At the same time, the conditions of her detention are deeply alarming.
Documented reports from her legal team describe repeated degrading body searches. In February 2025, despite suffering from fever, she was forced to undress completely, turn away from officers, bend forward, and cough in front of an open cell door.
She has been subjected to isolation, restricted communication, and significant limitations in contact with others.
She has experienced repeated sleep disruption, including nighttime checks with lights turned on.
She has been transported in a windowless, extremely confined compartment, causing disorientation and panic.
She has been subjected to excessively tight restraints causing pain and visible marks.
Taken together, these are not isolated incidents but form a pattern of cumulative physical and psychological pressure.
Such conditions correspond to what is internationally recognized as “white torture,” including isolation, humiliation, sensory deprivation, and prolonged uncertainty. These practices are addressed in the UN Istanbul Protocol and raise serious concerns under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention Against Torture.
Ms. Findeisen is also the grandniece of a Holocaust survivor. This adds a profound historical dimension and reinforces the necessity of strict adherence to human dignity and the rule of law.
In view of the extraordinary duration of detention, the apparent lack of substantiated evidence, and the severity of the documented detention conditions, I respectfully request that the United States Embassy appoint an independent trial observer.
Transparency is essential in a case of this magnitude. The presence of an international observer would help ensure that fundamental rights are respected and that proceedings meet the standards expected of a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
That said, we would like to clarify that while Johanna Findeisen’s case serves to illustrate the extent to which historical parallels are being disregarded, it is by no means an isolated incident. Our concern extends to all our fellow human beings who are politically persecuted and imprisoned. This must stop; we are counting on your support.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Mascha Orel for We for Humanity
We for Humanity is an international initiative of Holocaust survivors and their descendants as well as people of good will
https://t.me/WeForHumanity
