Injustice doesn't have borders; it doesn't care about color, race, city, or country. Wherever the rule of law fails and human dignity is trampled, that's where injustice rules. Staying silent in the face of oppression, anywhere in the world, means backing that oppression and lawlessness.
The heartbreaking case of Oliver K., a young German man who vanished in an old mining tunnel in October 2024, is a textbook example of this failure. Despite a lack of definitive evidence of his death, the authorities called off the search and declared the tunnel his "grave."
What is the Oliver K. case?
Oliver K., a 34-year-old from the Erzgebirge region in the German state of Saxony, loved exploring abandoned mines. On October 9, 2024, he went into the "Kippenhainer Stollen" mining tunnel near the town of Annaberg-Buchholz and never came back out. His bicycle and backpack were found right by the tunnel entrance.
Search dogs reacted at the site of a cave-in inside one of the tunnel shafts, but according to the authorities themselves, this reaction wasn't "conclusive." From that point on, it was simply assumed that his body was under the rubble.
- Late October 2024: The city of Annaberg-Buchholz announced that pulling him out was "disproportionate." The estimated cost was around 400,000 euros.
- October 29, 2024: The Erzgebirge district health department (Gesundheitsamt), using an exception to Saxony's burial laws, authorized registering the tunnel as his final resting place.
- The same day: Oliver's friends launched a petition demanding that the search continue.
Why is this decision so questionable?
According to local media reports, even the mayor admitted there was no "clear evidence" that Oliver was dead. Yet, just weeks after he went missing, he was practically written off as dead.
In Germany, officially declaring a missing person dead is only possible through a court order under the Missing Persons Act (Verschollenheitsgesetz). The general rule is a ten-year wait (Section 3). For someone who disappears in a life-threatening situation, that timeframe is shorter: one year after the danger has passed (Section 7). Both waiting periods are way longer than just a few weeks. A spokesperson for the Marienberg Local Court (Amtsgericht Marienberg) also pointed out this contradiction.
Friends and volunteer rescue workers also turned up clues, including a pair of yellow rubber boots pointing toward another opening of the tunnel, and other entry points that they say were never checked out.
Our letter to the German authorities
We won't stay silent in the face of this injustice. For our part, we've sent the following official letter to German political officials and media outlets. By reading it, you too can join this call for truth and justice.
To the responsible media and parliamentary committees
and competent members of the German BundestagSubject: Urgent request to establish an independent commission of inquiry into the case of Oliver K. (missing)
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am writing this letter not only as a citizen, but with a deep awareness of our legal system's responsibility toward every single individual. The case of the young German man, Oliver K., who disappeared in October 2024 in the Erzgebirge mountains (Kippenhainer Stollen, Annaberg-Buchholz), raises serious questions that must not go unanswered.
Contrary to standard legal procedures, the police, fire department, public prosecutor's office, and other authorities called off the investigation after a short time and closed the case. What is particularly troubling is that a location inside the tunnel was officially designated as a grave, even though there was no clear evidence of Oliver K.'s death. This decision runs counter to the fundamental regulations of the Missing Persons Act (VerschG, Section 3 et seq.), which stipulates that a declaration of death is generally only permissible after ten years, unless there is undeniable proof of fatality—which is not the case here.
Furthermore, the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany guarantees:
- Article 1, Paragraph 1: The inviolability of human dignity
- Article 2, Paragraph 2: The right to life and physical integrity
- Article 20, Paragraph 3: The obligation of all state organs to uphold law and justice
Hastily and opaquely shutting down the investigation violates these principles and poses a serious threat to public trust in the institutions of the rule of law.
Moreover, private search and rescue workers and friends of the missing person who kept gathering clues—such as discovering yellow rubber boots or alternative tunnel entrances—were neither given a proper hearing nor were their findings impartially investigated. Even a petition started by his friends in October 2024 to keep the search going received no serious response.
All of this creates the impression that the investigation was not carried out with the necessary care, transparency, and independence.
Demands
To ensure that the principles of the rule of law are upheld and human dignity is protected, I strongly urge you, in the name of public opinion, to:
- Establish an independent commission of inquiry, consisting of legal experts, investigators, mine safety specialists, and representatives of independent human rights organizations.
- Fully disclose all files and the basis for the authorities' decisions, particularly regarding the termination of the search and the approval of the grave site.
- Review the legality of the procedure in relation to the Missing Persons Act and constitutional obligations.
- Provide public and transparent information regarding the reasons that led to the extraordinarily rapid closure of the case.
Conclusion
This case concerns not just a single family, but the credibility of our entire legal system. If the life of a human being, especially a young citizen, is declared "lost" this quickly without exhausting all avenues to uncover the truth, it sends a dangerous message.
I urge you to support the creation of an independent fact-finding commission and thereby guarantee that the law, human dignity, and justice are fully respected in this case.
With high respect,
Omid Jamshidi
What can you do?
Share this article with others. Silence normalizes hasty decisions; asking questions holds people accountable. If you live in Germany, you can ask your local representative what their stance is on this case.
