By John LaForge
After years of imprisoning only German nationals for nonviolent protests against the threatened use of U.S. hydrogen bombs stationed in Germany, nuclear resisters from outside Germany are now being imprisoned for their noncooperation. These resisters have all served time in Germany for refusing to pay financial penalties imposed mostly for go-in actions at Büchel Air Force Base: Susan Crane from California; Dennis DuVall, formerly of Arizona, and now living in Radeberg, Germany; Susan van der Hijden and Fritz ter Kuile both from Amsterdam, Netherlands; as well as Nukewatch’s John LaForge.
On June 4, Susan Crane, of the Redwood City, California Catholic Worker, began serving 229 days, the longest sentence ever handed down in 30 years of anti-nuclear protests at Büchel.* She is the first female U.S. citizen to serve hard time in the campaign. After joining a long string of “go-in” actions at the base, Crane was fined a total of $2,819 by the regional court in Koblenz. She informed the court of her conscientious refusal to pay, and later explained in an email that she “is unwilling to pay for the court’s cover-up of the illegality of U.S. nuclear weapons.”
Susan Van der Hidjen was sentenced to 115-days for the same or similar actions, and the two began their prison time together June 4. After a month in the high-security prison in Rorhbach, both women were transferred to the so-called “open prison” JVA Koblenz, where inmates with good conduct marks are permitted a few hours of free time outside the gates every week. (Because of this strangely regulated “preparation” for a prisoner’s pending release, Crane was able to attend a large anti-war rally in Berlin October 5th.) Van der Hidjen finished her stint and was released and returned home to Amsterdam Thurs. September 26.
Nuclear Resister Dennis DuVall Threatened with Expulsion from Germany
In the newest and most reactionary move by authorities, Germany intends to expel U.S. citizen and nuclear resister Dennis DuVall on October 31, 2024. DuVall, 82, a resident of Radeberg for six years, a member of Veterans for Peace, and a regular protester at the Büchel NATO base has been incarcerated twice for nonpayment of penalties stemming from various actions at Büchel.
The federal expulsion order describes DuVall as a serious threat to security and public order. He has retained an attorney to help fight the order and has won widespread support in his effort to stay. DuVall argues that he has a legal obligation to resist the planning and preparation for nuclear attacks that take place at the base. In two separate criminal court trials, DuVall explained that these nuclear attack plans are in violation of international treaty law including the 1970 Nonproliferation Treaty and the 1946 Nuremberg Charter, Principles, and Judgment.
DuVall is the second U.S. citizen ever to go to prison in Germany for nonviolent resistance at the base. He spent 60 days in Bautzen prison in 2023, and this past July 22 reported to the same prison for a 90-day sentence for spray painting “crime scene” on a roadway. He was released from Bautzen after seven days when his $1,643 penalty was paid anonymously.
In a statement announcing the expulsion threat DuVall warned, “B61-12 nuclear bombs and F-35 warplanes at Büchel will push NATO closer to war.” He invites peace and anti-war/anti-weapons groups and individuals to support his fight to stay in Germany, and to sign an online petition to the interior ministry here: www.change.org/p/keine-ausweisung-des-anti-atombomben-aktivisten-dennis-duvall.**
The government’s deportation rationale has been criticized as politically motivated and absurd, since the 82-year-old USAF veteran and retiree can’t possibly endanger the richest industrial state in Europe. German singer/songwriter Gerd Schinkel has even composed a song for Dennis that asks, “Is a demonstrator more dangerous than the bomb he is demonstrating against?”
* Please write to
Susan Crane here:
JVA Koblenz OVA
Simmerner Str. 14A
56075 Koblenz
GERMANY
** You may also urge Germany to rescind its expulsion order for DuVall by writing:
Robert Domanja
Head of Office
District Office Bautzen Foreigners Office
Bahnhof Str. 9
02625, Bautzen
GERMANY
— Felice and Jack
Cohen-Joppa at The
Nuclear Resister
contributed details
to this report.
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