WELT: Maaßen hatte Echtheit von Chemnitz-Video nicht überprüft

According to a newspaper report, Hans-Georg Maaßen, head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, questioned the authenticity of a video of the Chemnitz riots without consulting experts. Only after Maaßen expressed doubts about the authenticity of the recording circulating online did experts from his agency address the issue of its credibility, reported the newspaper "Die Welt," citing multiple sources. The video is being used as evidence to support allegations that the Chemnitz riots involved manhunts targeting people of foreign appearance and right-wing extremist attacks. The recording shows several men threatening two others in a Chemnitz square as they flee, when a man runs towards one of them. Last Friday, the newspaper "Bild" published statements by Maaßen claiming there was no reliable information about manhunts and no evidence to support the video's authenticity. The domestic intelligence agency president's remarks sparked outrage across party lines. Critics accuse him of trying to downplay the events in Chemnitz. His suitability as head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is being questioned across party lines. On Wednesday, Maaßen is scheduled to appear before the parliamentary oversight committee and the Bundestag's internal affairs committee. A note from us: Due to the high volume of comments, we are currently unable to accept any more. Thank you for your understanding – The WELT Team The WELT News Livestream http://bit.ly/2fwuMPg The top news stories on WELT.de https://www.welt.de/ The media library on WELT.de https://www.welt.de/mediathek/ Visit us on Facebook   / welt   Follow us on Twitter   / welt   Visit us on Instagram   / welt   Help us caption & translate this video! https://amara.org/v/lL1J/