Six suspected left-wing extremists, said to belong to the “Antifa-Ost” group, will go on trial in Düsseldorf from January on charges including attempted murder. You must log in Budapest Neo-Nazis attacked and in Erfurt the fashion shop of a brand often worn by right-wing extremists.
They are also accused of forming a criminal organization and causing grievous bodily harm. A justice spokesman said the Düsseldorf Regional Court of Appeal had approved a similar indictment from the Federal Prosecutor General with changes.
The defendants, aged between 22 and 24, are said to have been part of the militant group since 2022. In one case, a saleswoman at a clothing shop in Erfurt was said to have been violently attacked. In addition, there was damage of more than 65,000 euros.
Limited costs
The Senate admitted several acts, including an attack on suspected supporters of far-right groups in Budapest in February 2023, to the main session. In the Senate’s opinion, other accusations – such as spying on two people by a 22-year-old – were not well founded. The court found no jurisdiction over the fraud and theft charges.
The six defendants are currently in custody. Some of them turned themselves in at the start of the year. The federal prosecutor’s office filed charges against him in late June. The group – also known as the “Hammer Gang” – is said to also include Johann G., who, along with other alleged members, must answer at the Dresden Regional High Court.
According to previous information, the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution also blamed the “Antifa-Ost” group for the attack in Budapest. Therefore, Johann G. is considered the leader of the group, and the Federal Criminal Police Office is looking for him through a public search.
The US has included the group on its terror list
US President Donald Trump’s administration added the “Antifa-Ost” group to its terrorist list on Thursday. Between 2018 and 2023, the association “carried out numerous attacks against people they considered “fascists” or part of “right-wing groups” in Germany,” the US State Department said in a statement.
Regarding the US decision, the federal government said that, according to the assessment of German security authorities, the potential threat posed by the group had recently been significantly reduced. Leaders and especially violent groups have been legally punished or are in prison.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251114-930-294988/1
