interview by Andrea Drescher
An operation of the mobile operation forces MEK/SEK because of alleged „misuse of title“
On January 30, 2021, the dwelling as well as the business premises of the British entrepreneur and lawyer of economic affairs, Janko Williams, in Berlin/Brandenburg, was searched – in a rather extraordinary way even in these times of the corona pandemic. He was searched by mobile operation forces (MEK/SEK) armed with machine guns, who turned his apartment inside out in hit-and-run style. This raid was lead and conducted amongst others by Bavarian policemen. The legal adjudication to conduct this action was issued from the district court in Munich. The invasion by the police was out of scale in numerous aspects; the personal and economical consequences for the dedicated peace activist are extreme.
Could you please introduce yourself?
I was born in 1985 in Freiburg im Breisgau, my mother is British and my father is French. I am a committed European citizen and lived in Brandenburg until recently. I am self-employed as a data security officer, quality manager, auditor and office manager of a legal practice and have turned my hobby, which is data protection, into my profession. In the last few months my legal competences have been in the foreground. Starting on August 29 I have attended demonstrations, I have campaigned for the „Anwälte für Aufklärung (Lawyers for Clarification) and I have supported the „Klagepaten“ Association. Being a peace activist I stand up for re-establishin the constitutional democracy by means of the constitutional democracy.
What have you been accused of?
According to the search warrant I was accused of misusage of a title, an occupational title and an insignia according to § 132 a Abs. 1 No. 1 StGB (criminal code). However, the real reason seemed to be something completely different, which I found out only a few days later. During a few weeks before this raid I have been stopped by the police, mostly on the freeway, a few times and they checked my personal details. A misusage of titles, as mentioned on the search warrant, is a minor offence, and it was incomprehensible that this invasion by the police was conducted with such rigour – including the threat with a weapon and the property damage. However, when I found out the background, it became clear to me.
In your opinion, what has been the real background for this raid?
I found out that the State Office of Criminal Investigation in Munich had received an anonimous lead that I was supposed to be the ‚leader‘ of a planning team to prepare an assassination of the premier Markus Söder. When I heard about this I had to laugh instantly and I asked many times whether this was the truth; at least now I understood the extreme violence on behalf of the MEK/SEK.
What happened during the raid?
Around 6 am I heard banging against the door of the building on the ground floor of my apartment building in Brandenburg. In the beginning I thought that the house owner was carrying out repair work, however, about 45 minutes later, I heard somebody screaming and yelling like „Police, police“ in the corridor. Almost at the same time the door of my apartment was opened by force with a door ram.
I jumped out of bed and ran to the door straight away. About nine heavily armed policemen stormed through the open door towards me and two of them held a full automatic machine pistol against my head and my temples. Within seconds I was thrown on the floor and was handcuffed – in a crude way. After lying on the floor for a few minutes, naked and with handcuffs, I was placed on a chair and they let me sit there nakedly. A police officer told me that they had a search warrant which they could not show me. One policemen had to get the warrant from the car.
Were you naked the whole time?
Yes, therefore, I asked the police officers to get me some underwear and a blanket, which they did, and they gave me socks and underwear which was lying around from the day before. I asked for clean underwear which they did not allow. Two police women dressed me while I was naked, fixed with handcuffs. Being in such a helpless situation and on top being dressed by women.
This kind of SEK-operation is not a daily routine, how have you been since the attack?
I was in panic – and still am sometimes. As an activist I have experienced a lot of unpleasant situations, but this has really topped anything I have experienced before. Almost like a feeling of ‚Guantanamo‘, please excuse the comparison, thank God only for a few minutes. It was so humiliating, turned me into a helpless victim, and felt like state terrorism. I did not feel I had done anything that could even rudimentary justify this operation. I still haven‘t completely put it away, and I don‘t feel like going back to my apartment.
What happened then?
They told me they would have dogs who could sniffle explosives go through the apartment, and I was able to have a glance at the search warrant, so they took my handcuffs off. After 10 or 15 minutes – I don‘t know exactly – I was allowed to get dressed by myself and they took me in the police carer to the police station Luckenwalde for a police identification.
In Luckenwalde I was interrogated for about 6 hours and then released about 12.30 pm. Since they confiscated my mobile it was not really easy to organise myself. I had an emergeny piece of paper in my wallet with a few important phone numbers in order to contact friends and/or lawyers.
Did the police only confiscate your mobile phone?
Oh no. They tould all the technical equipment from my apartment, including four notebooks and tablets, approx. 10 USB-sticks, an air rifle (a heritage piece from 1985-1992), my collection of mobile phones, including a few devices which are older than 10 years, as well as several business documents. But it got worse. The police changed all the passwords of my social media accounts such as XING and LinkedIn, so I don‘t have access to my accounts. I also cannot access my bank accounts, which are secured by a two-factor-authentication.
Are you able to work at all?
Thanks to this completely excessive operation of the police nothing is possible. I cannot pursue my work or serve my customers. I cannot even withdraw money from my private or my business bank accounts. I was not able to contact my customers in order to inform them about my situation since my mobile phone was seized.
My business partner, who I have worked with many years, has already told me that he is planning to end our business relationship because of this incident. My lease of office premises has been terminated because of the turmoil and damage done to the office building, I cannot safely enter my apartment because of this incident, since every noise at the door gives me a fright. I really don‘t feel secure at the place.
The whole operation was allegedly executed because of ‚misuse‘ of titles. What happened?
Because I took part in peace demonstrations I was frequently active in Bavaria. I had discussions with the policemen in charge in Munich because I was wearing a reflective vest with the word ‚Lawyer‘ printed on it. This vest was a thorn in his side. He argued that I had misused the title of ‚Lawyer‘ by wearing the jacket, and I was only a legal practitioner of economic affairs. I had never pretended to be a lawyer – and I rectified that immediately.
How did you find out about the real reason?
On February 3, 2021, four days after the raid in Brandenburg, I was called by the LKA in Munich. They summoned me to the office in Munich and told me beforehand that it was merely an informative meeting. My goal was to find out the truth and to clarify the situation with the police, so of course I went to Munich, even though I must admit I was scared of what to expect.
When I arrived in Munich I was immediately told that they had a lead that I was in charge of an operation planning the assassination of Söder. The three police officers asked me whether I knew who could have been the informant. They told me that they didn‘t think I would be able to to this after all, or at least this is what they told me at the end of the conversation.
An anonimous lead was the reason for this raid?
Officially, the police operations was executed because of a legal adjudication of ‚misuse of title‘, however, the crudeness of the police operation and especially the usage of sniffer dogs inevitably leads to the conclusion that the police has acted like that because of the anonimous lead.
Which person or organisation gave this hint to the police – I wonder: How does the judiciary and the policy justify such a measure if they did not even check the plausibility of this anonimous information? A person is being ruined – because someone utters something anonimously? Don‘t they have any feeling of responsibility?
They have virtually ruined my existence. No apartment, no office, no means of communication, no money. If I did not have any friends I would have a huge problem. However, the attack could be an attempt to intimidate my political activities. If they want to state an example using me other people may be intimidated. In order to stop the increasing number of people in the streets.
Why do you think that?
Two of my friends who are policemen analysed the course of action of the officer in charge of this operation and they thought it looks like a willfully intimidating tactic, since the whole operation was disproportional and brutal. While they analysed the operation they, amongst other things, found out that ideally the lock barrel is being hit by the ram and the door of a block of flats is opened as quietly as possible, so that the suspect will not be warned. Unless there is a reason not to act like that. In this operation, if I had been a terrorist, I would have had about 30 to 45 minutes in order to destroy evidence, to warn my accomplices, to escape, to prepare an attack or to kill myself.
From the point of view of these experienced policemen it looks like as if the incapacity is planned, there is a pattern which uses state terrorism in order to damage peaceful activits who have been called ‚Corona RAF‘ by Söder.
Are you going to let them intimidate you?
Certainly not. Expecially not because I have been traumatised and I need to act, now of all times. I am already preparing a legal clarification of this scandal.
Do you need any support?
Yes, I am relying on financial support because of my business situation. I need to pay court and lawyers fees. If you are willing to support me, the account for donations is owned by Janko Williams, IBAN: DE49 1001 0010 0967 4501 22, BIC : PBNKDEFFXXX
Thank you very much for your dedication!
