Berlin Court Bans Extremism Label Against Bookstore Operators

A German court has banned the use of an extremism label against a non-partisan state minister. The ruling follows a dispute regarding a book prize where the minister's comments were made in an interview. The minister had previously refused to provide a cease-and-desist declaration before the verdict. A complaint to the Higher Administrative Court remains an option. The dispute originated from the removal of three bookstores in Berlin, Bremen, and Göttingen from a prize winner list by a jury. A Berlin administrative court has issued a preliminary injunction against Culture Minister Weimar. The ruling prohibits the minister from labeling the operators of the bookstore 'Zur schwankenden Weltkugel' as political extremists. Weimar had previously removed the bookstore from the German Bookstore Prize shortlist, stating the state cannot award prizes to political extremists.