Andreas Halbach

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Andreas Halbach (* 1960 ) is a German television journalist .

Life

Andreas Halbach first worked for the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger , switched to WDR in 2001 and to ZDF in 2003 . Since 2006 Halbach has been working as an editor for the investigative television magazine " frontal21 ". Here he uncovered the East German garbage scandal in 2007/2008. Also noteworthy is the interview from Halbachs with the head of the railway, Rüdiger Grube, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the " Stuttgart 21 " railway project , in which Grube had to admit that it was ignorant of the Federal Audit Office's report on the disproportionate cost increases for the construction project. On July 4, 2017, Halbach was convicted by the Cologne Higher Regional Court for disseminating the image of an alleged Ebola patient from the RWTH Aachen University Clinic against his will. The newspaper had a photo of the recognizable man with a face mask and gloves and the name "Ebola suspect".

Halbach lodged a constitutional complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court against the decision and was successful on July 8, 2020. The Federal Constitutional Court overturned the decisions of the Aachen District Court from October 29, 2015 - 447 Ds-2 Js 1508 / 14-249 / 15 - and the Aachen Regional Court from September 7, 2016 - 71 Ns-2 Js 1508 / 14-15 / 16 - as well as the decision of the Cologne Higher Regional Court of June 2, 2017 - III-1 RVs 93/17. According to the Supreme Court, they violated the complainant's fundamental right to freedom of the press in accordance with Article 5, Paragraph 1, Clause 2 of the Basic Law . It takes the view that "it must be possible for press photographers and journalists to deliver unpixeled image material to editors without fear of punishment." The decisions of the regional court and the higher regional court were overturned and the matter was up for a new decision on appeal to the regional court in Aachen referred back. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has to reimburse the complainant for the necessary expenses.

The German Association of Journalists ( DJV) welcomed the decision: “This is a good judgment for photo journalists, as it releases them from lengthy legal disputes over the protection of personal rights with an open outcome. By clearly naming the responsibility in Karlsruhe, the different tasks of freelancers and editors are emphasized.

In June 2019, Halbach was taken into police custody because he is said to have yelled at police officers and filmed them unjustifiably after the dissolution of a private party due to disturbance of the peace. After only two days, however, it turned out that Halbach had behaved correctly. The Cologne District Court rejected the opening of main proceedings because of the criminal offense of Section 201 StGB by decision of July 29, 2020, "as there was no violation of the confidentiality of the word ". Investigations against the police officers working on site are currently ongoing. The chairman of the German Association of Journalists in North Rhine-Westphalia spoke to the Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia for Halbach and called for the investigation to be stopped immediately.

Awards

Halbach has been nominated for several journalism awards, including

  • 2010: "Long Breath" (Berlin Journalists' Association) for "Illegal waste dumping in East Germany"
  • 2009: "Ernst Schneider Prize"

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. frontal 21: Poison in the garbage - authorities look the other way . Broadcast on April 1, 2008
  2. ↑ Angela Delonge: Aachener ZDF photo reporter has to pay a fine. Aachener Zeitung, accessed on July 5, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Spiegel article: Photographers have to pixel pictures themselves. July 22, 2017, accessed July 9, 2020 .
  4. ^ Stephan Mohne: Photos in the university clinic: ZDF reporter takes action before the constitutional court. Aachener Zeitung, accessed on October 27, 2017 .
  5. ^ Decision of the Federal Constitutional Court. Retrieved July 8, 2020 .
  6. ↑ DJV welcomes the decision of the BVerfG. Retrieved July 8, 2020 .
  7. ^ Party riot in Cologne: ZDF reporter Andreas Halbach in handcuffs. Retrieved June 13, 2019 .
  8. ^ Judge does not allow indictments against Cologne journalists. August 5, 2020, accessed August 5, 2020 .
  9. ↑ disturbance Widdersdorf ZDF reporter relieved, police rüdem appearance. Retrieved September 13, 2019 .
  10. ↑ DJV-NRW demands clarification from the NRW Interior Minister: Assault against journalists in Cologne unlawful. German Association of Journalists V., June 17, 2019, accessed on September 13, 2019 .
  11. ^ DJV Berlin - German Association of Journalists, Landesverband Berlin: Nine nominations for "Long Breath" 2011. Accessed on September 13, 2019 .
  12. ↑ TV journalist Dietrich Krauss from Crailsheim awarded for critical economic reporting «Hohenlohe-unfiltered. Retrieved September 13, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Halbach, Andreas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German journalist
DATE OF BIRTH 1960