Enforcing penal sanctions against innocent persons

Enforcing penal sanctions against innocent personsThe Penal Code is a codification of criminal law and the pivotal legal text, while supplementary laws contain provisions affecting criminal law, such as definitions of new types of crime and law enforcement action. The StGB constitutes the legal basis of criminal law in Germany.In the wake of the Third Reich a number of prohibiting provisions were included in the Strafgesetzbuch:Friedensverrat (“treason to peace”): preparation of a war of aggression (§ 80) and incitement to a war of aggression (§ 80a)dissemination of means of propaganda of unconstitutional organizations (§ 86)use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations (§86a)incitement to hatred against segments of the population (Volksverhetzung) (§13In 2002 German public prosecutors were empowered to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide internationally under the Völkerstrafgesetzbuch (“Code of Crimes against international Law”). Another special penal code is the Wehrstrafgesetz to prosecute special crimes within military service such as insubordination