The Hamburg Regional Court has provisionally ordered a ban on the use of audio recordings secured by the editorial team of “Die Zeit,” which contain the children of Christina Block. As announced on Thursday, the Criminal Chamber issued a ruling on Wednesday, restricting the use of these recordings for the time being.
The tapes were seized on October 12th, after investigators appeared before the journalists and threatened searches. According to “Die Zeit,” the recordings were sealed before they could be released. The court based its decision on the premise that the public interest does not outweigh the potential severe disadvantages that could be inflicted upon the fundamental rights positions of the journalists involved. However, a final decision regarding the legality of the seizure is still pending.
Earlier, towards the end of September, excerpts from the recorded conversations were published in the podcast “House of Block.” The statements made by Christina Block’s daughter, who was abducted during New Year’s Eve 2023/24, particularly drew criticism from the defense team of the accused entrepreneur. In the podcast, the 13-year-old recounted her kidnapping from Denmark, though she ultimately chose not to testify as a witness in court. The trial against Christina Block and six other defendants has been ongoing before the Criminal Chamber of the Regional Court since July 2025.
The German Journalists Association (DJV) welcomed the decision by the Hamburg Regional Court. Mika Beuster, head of the DJV, stated on Thursday, “The court has hit the emergency brake. This is the correct stance. Newsrooms are not branch offices of the judiciary. When you tap into journalistic sources, you attack freedom of the press.” The DJV further demanded that journalistic source protection must be maintained without restriction, even during the final legal ruling.
