24th Chaos Communication Congress: What is Terrorism? And who is terrorising whom?

Lecture of Anne Roth, partner of Andrej Holm, at Chaos Communication Congress Dec 27, 2007:

Life as the partner of a terrorism suspect means living with police and secret service surveillance: phone tapping, video cameras pointing at your doors, plain-clothed police following your every step, e-mail and internet access being monitored etc etc.

Video | Audio

My partner Andrej Holm was arrested July 31 this year because roughly one year before German police found his writings on gentrification, together with him being a political activist and not always taking his mobile phone along, suspicious enough to start a terrorism investigation. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's basically it. After he was arrested at gunpoint in our apartment at 7 am in the morning I realised that I, too, was the focus of surveillance. As were colleagues, friends and family. It was made quite clear that we were meant to notice.

My partner was released from prison after three weeks and by now the terrorism charges were taken back and turned into accusations of having formed a 'criminal organisation'.

After the initial shock I started blogging about everyday life with surveillance.

29.12.2007