ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Johanna Bücker

Johanna Bücker is a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg. Her research focuses on Art. 15 ECHR in the context of entrenched crises.
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POSTS BY Johanna Bücker

03 June 2025

Johanna Bücker

The Questionable Concept of Protective Weapons

On 20 May 2025, the European Court of Human Rights handed down a landmark ruling in Russ v. Germany, finding that penalising a protester for wearing a makeshift visor breached his freedom of assembly. With its clear rejection of the German courts’ blanket approach, Strasbourg echoes long-standing constitutional concerns in German legal scholarship over the criminalisation of defensive gear at protests. Beyond Germany, the judgment affirms the Court’s role in shielding democratic participation across Europe. Continue reading >>

21 February 2025

Alison Jolynn Beuscher, Johanna Bücker, Laura Goller, Lina Sophie Möller, Marlene Stiller, Sarah Isabel Pfeiffer

The Claim of Hybrid Attacks

At the European Union’s external borders, migrants are being instrumentalized in geopolitical conflicts, as seen in cases before the European Court of Human Rights concerning pushbacks at the EU-Belarus border. Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania justify these measures as responses to a “hybrid war,” while critics warn against eroding non-refoulement protections. The Court’s ruling will be crucial in defining the balance between state security and human rights. Continue reading >>