Anti-terror bill strongly opposed

Press, 18 February 1978, Page 7

Anti-terror bill strongly opposed

NZPA-Reuter Bonn Controversial new anti-ter-rorist legislation to give the] authorities more power to! deal with urban guerrillas has cleared its main Parliamentary hurdle in the face] of conservative and Leftwing Opposition. Chancellor Helmut Schmidt's coalition Government finally forced it through the Lower House on Thursday by the narrowest possible margin — one vote. But before the bill, aimed at strengthening the hand of the police in dealing with groups such as the BaaderMeinhof urban guerrillas, can become law, it must pass through the Upper House next month where the Opposition Christian Democrats have a majority.

The Christian Democrats voted against the bill on Thursday, describing it as insufficient, incomplete, and unsuitable for fighting terrorism effectively.

The conservatives found unusual allies in four Leftwingers from Mr Schmidt’s Social Democratic Party who opposed it because they felt it violated basic civil rights.

The authorities had a!-, ready stepped up anti-terror measures within existing! laws after bloody attacks last year on establishment j figures, that culminated in the killing of industrialist Hanns-Martin Schleyer.

The new laws include measures which would allow:

The police to search an entire apartment block on one warrant. At present one warrant covers one dwelling: The police to set up road blocks anywhere during a hunt for terrorists and demand proof of identities as well as to search vehicles. Those without sufficient proof of identity could be held for up to 12 hours until their identity was established;

Lawyers to be barred from defending terrorists if reasonable suspicion existed that they were conspiring with the defendants — an accusation levelled at Baa-der-Meinhof lawyers.

Terrorists and their lawyers to be separated by glass during prison visits to prevent any objects from being passed.