A new release of internal documents from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has reignited the debate over Germany’s coronavirus policies.
Published by journalists on Tuesday, the 10 GB of data includes all meeting minutes from the RKI crisis team between 2020 and 2023.
The RKI is a German federal government agency and research institute, which is responsible for disease control and prevention. It took a leading roll in the country’s COVID response.
The leak, originating from an RKI insider, shows experts within the institute were critical of certain government measures, including the term “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” compulsory mask mandates, and school closures, none of which, the experts felt were ‘technically true.’
The leak concludes a prolonged battle for transparency, initiated by journalist Paul Schreyer in 2021, resulting in the partial release of redacted documents. The complete, unredacted documents now fill in gaps, especially concerning actions under current Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
Despite the RKI’s disapproval of the leak for potentially violating personal and trade secrets, it has promised to expedite the publication of the remaining protocols. Lauterbach claimed there was “nothing to hide” regarding the crisis team’s deliberations.
