The criminal trial in the The diesel emissions scandal against former employees of Volkswagen was due to begin on 2 November 2026 at the Braunschweig Regional Court but did not get under way. The court adjourned the trialafter one defendant failed to attend for health reasons, according to the defence . The court said it would examine the medical certificates submitted and seek a new date in consultation with the parties to the proceedings.
The Braunschweig Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses the defendants of having helped develop and use software that showed lower emissions on test stands than during normal driving. The charges include commercial fraud and aiding and abetting. Braunschweig Regional Court has admitted the indictment; details of individual counts and the number of vehicles affected are set out in the indictment and will be discussed during the trial.
The defence cited an acute health problem to explain the absence. No personal medical details were made public. The court is now considering whether the conditions for postponing the hearing have been met. A new date will depend on medical evidence, the availability of those involved and the court’s schedule. At the time of the adjournment, the court had not ruled on coercive measures or the separation of parts of the case.
The hearing in Braunschweig is part of a series of criminal proceedings in Lower Saxony, launched since the emissions scandal came to light in September 2015. Civil claims by buyers have also been heard across Germany; rulings by the highest courts have clarified the framework for compensation. The trial that has now been adjourned concerns criminal responsibility in individual roles and periods within the group.
The defendants are presumed innocent. The court stressed that the case is about establishing individual contributions and responsibilities. A new trial schedule is to be agreed with the public prosecutor, defence and ancillary prosecution after the medical certificates have been submitted and assessed. The defendants’ identities have not been disclosed for privacy reasons.
Volkswagen itself is not a defendant in these proceedings. For years, the group has pointed to technical retrofits, internal investigations and settlements in civil proceedings. The criminal assessment by Braunschweig Regional Court remains unaffected and will be considered on its merits only when the main hearing begins and continues.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).