The parliamentary group leader of the Left in the Bundestag, Sören Pellmann, joined the Rote Hilfe on Wednesday. Pellmann announced this in response to a request from the F.A.Z. on Thursday. "It must be possible for everyone in Germany to be defended in court proceedings. This NGO exists so that people who have little or no money can afford it," wrote Pellmann. The Left parliamentary group leader shared a link to the Rote Hilfe membership form on the X platform on Wednesday evening.
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies Red Aid as a proven left-wing extremist effort. The association offers “a framework of legitimacy for the commission of criminal and violent crimes,” according to the current Office for the Protection of the Constitution report. Rote Hilfe not only reimburses defendants for their legal fees, but also criminals convicted in the final instance for their penalties and fines. The effect of sanctions is thus undermined. The current Office for the Protection of the Constitution states that the “primary field of activity” of the Red Aid is “supporting left-wing extremist criminals”. The club has repeatedly campaigned for RAF terrorists in recent years.
The main test criterion for payments from the association is not the need of the applicant, but rather their political views. The association's payments are intended to encourage perpetrators not to cooperate with the police and courts: Red Aid's regulations stipulate that the association can reject an application for support if the applicant makes a statement in a criminal case or asks for an apology. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution writes in its report that the selection and justification of the support cases show that Red Aid “not only advocates but also supports the use of violence as a means of political debate.”
When asked by the F.A.Z. how he classifies this assessment of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Pellmann replied that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution “should rather worry about protecting our democracy instead of making political evaluations.” Pellmann's decision could put a strain on the exploratory talks between the Left, the Greens and the SPD in Berlin: On Tuesday, a F.A.Z. investigation revealed that mayoral candidate Elif Eralp (Left) was a member of the Rote Hilfe until last year.
On Tuesday, Eralp justified her joining, which had taken place when she was a student, with arguments similar to Pellmann's. In 2025 she left “because of partly different political views”. The SPD state and parliamentary group leader Steffen Krach announced on Wednesday evening that the issue would play a role in the exchange with the Left and the Greens. He expects Eralp to explain her position and give the reasons for her membership and for her resignation last year.
Pellmann is not alone in his sympathy for the Red Help in his party: On Wednesday, the deputy parliamentary group leader Desiree Becker wrote on Instagram that she was a member of the “Red Help association, which is classified as extremely important”. The support of political activists by Rote Hilfe in criminal defense is not “a fight against the system, but rather something that is one of the elementary foundations of our constitutional state”.
Becker is state chairwoman of the Left Party in Hesse. Its co-chair Jakob Migenda also acknowledged on Instagram that he was a member of the Rote Hilfe. Rote Hilfe supports “in solidarity with comrades who are affected by repression”. He himself has already been supported by the association after he protested “against the deterioration of study conditions at our university” and was reported. The Saxon Left Party state chairman Marco Böhme wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that he was also a member of the Red Aid. The association is a “collective of lawyers to help people defend themselves in court”.
Meanwhile, Berlin's left-wing Bundestag member Ferat Koçak announced on Wednesday evening that he would be leaving the Bundestag's Interior Committee. “I don’t want my colleagues and their important parliamentary work to be put under additional strain by attacks on me,” Koçak wrote on X. “That’s why I’m giving up my seat on the Interior Committee.” Koçak is under pressure because of contacts with clan members and a Hamas supporter.
