Something I've wondered about for a while is what happened with the criminal justice systems in Eastern Europe post-1989. I picked Germany in this instance because my understanding is that the process of "Westernising" the government in the East was perhaps a bit more rapid than in the other countries with new democratic governments. I'm of course also interested in whether this process was different from place to place.
So, in this theoretical situation, I'm in prison for a crime that's accepted as a crime both in East and West Germany. What I'm specifically wondering about is:
First off, is my conviction simply transferred over and accepted as valid or is there a process of review underway? Is someone going through all my case files to make sure I'm not in here because of my politics? To see if the way the evidence against me was obtained was up to standard?
What happens to the prison I'm in? It presumably doesn't meet Western standards, am I getting sent to a new one or is that just too hard for now?
Is there any chance I might get re-sentenced so it matches what I might have received if I'd done what I did in the West?
Do I have a bunch of new processes I can use to appeal?
EDIT: My main answer can be found below.
Are you referring to the wall coming down or the German reunification in 1990/91? Both things are two different events that are many months apart that would have possibly different outcomes for your question.
The fall of the Berlin Wall mainly meant that people from East Germany could officially travel to West-Germany. Naturally, this amplified a process that was already in motion withing GDR society, namely people and organizations that wanted to reform the existing GDR ("Dritter Weg"). Before the wall came down, these people would for example meet in churches or other places offered by religios organizations ("Kirche von Unten"). But it also started the reunification process itself which was done in an incredible speed via the Treuhand organization for example which dealt with the economic aspects.
One of the immediate consequences might have been for a political prisoner in one of the Stasi prisons like in Bautzen II or in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen. A side note here is that the Stasi was pretty surprised by the whole process. The People's Army refused to use violence against the protests and generally they thought everything was under control until that legendary press conference.
Anyway, people were naturally angry at the Stasi and there were people storming their headquarters in Lichtenberg. Right before that the Stasi people started to shred and burn files.
But de facto the Stasi was also operational until formal reunification, they didn't have the authority anymore but they still existed.
I will dig in some sources and try to answer the question but can you please let me know if you mean the Fall of the Wall or the German reunification specifically?
Sorry to bump in like this, but does anyone recommend any good reads/books about East and West Germany? I feel like I don't know enough about it and I'd like to know more.
EDIT: you're all awesome and I got some reading to do.