Current:Home > StocksGerman prosecutors indict 27 people in connection with an alleged far-right coup plot-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
German prosecutors indict 27 people in connection with an alleged far-right coup plot
View Date:2024-12-24 07:24:20
BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors said Tuesday they have filed terrorism charges against 27 people, including a self-styled prince and a former far-right lawmaker, in connection with an alleged plot to topple the government that came to light with a slew of arrests a year ago.
An indictment against 10 suspects, including the most prominent figures, was filed Dec. 11 at the state court in Frankfurt. Under the German legal system, the court must now decide whether and when the case will go to trial.
Nine of those suspects, all German nationals, are accused of belonging to a terrorist organization that was founded in July 2021 with the aim of “doing away by force with the existing state order in Germany,” federal prosecutors said in a statement.
Prosecutors said that the accused believed in a “conglomerate of conspiracy myths,” including Reich Citizens and QAnon ideology, and were convinced that Germany is ruled by a so-called “deep state.”
Adherents of the Reich Citizens movement reject Germany’s postwar constitution and have called for bringing down the government, while QAnon is a global conspiracy theory with roots in the United States.
The nine suspects are also charged with “preparation of high treasonous undertaking.” They include Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, whom the group allegedly planned to install as Germany’s provisional new leader; Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a judge and former lawmaker with the far-right Alternative for Germany party; and a retired paratrooper.
The group planned to storm into the parliament building in Berlin and arrest lawmakers, prosecutors said. It intended to negotiate a post-coup order primarily with Russia, as one of the allied victors of World War II.
They said that Reuss tried to contact Russian officials in 2022 to win Russia’s support for the plan, and it isn’t clear how Russia responded.
A Russian woman identified only as Vitalia B. is accused of supporting the terrorist organization, in part by allegedly setting up a contact with the Russian consulate in Leipzig and accompanying Reuss there.
Another 17 alleged members of the group were charged in separate indictments at courts in Stuttgart and Munich, prosecutors said.
Officials have repeatedly warned that far-right extremists pose the biggest threat to Germany’s domestic security. This threat was highlighted by the killing of a regional politician and an attempted attack on a synagogue in 2019. A year later, far-right extremists taking part in a protest against the country’s pandemic restrictions tried and failed to storm the parliament building in Berlin.
In a separate case, five people went on trial in May over an alleged plot by a group calling itself United Patriots — which prosecutors say also is linked to the Reich Citizens scene — to launch a far-right coup and kidnap Germany’s health minister.
veryGood! (93398)
Related
- Saving for retirement? How to account for Social Security benefits
- Abortion rights supporters far outraise opponents and rake in out-of-state money in Ohio election
- Mia Talerico’s Good Luck Charlie Reunion Proves Time Flies
- A baseless claim about Putin’s health came from an unreliable Telegram account
- Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
- Vanessa Hudgens’ Dark Vixen Bachelorette Party Is the Start of Something New With Fiancé Cole Tucker
- The White House and Google launch a new virtual tour with audio captions, Spanish translation
- Special counsel urges judge to reinstate limited gag order against Trump
- Deion Sanders addresses trash thrown at team during Colorado's big win at Texas Tech
- Key North Carolina GOP lawmakers back rules Chair Destin Hall to become next House speaker
Ranking
- Reese Witherspoon's Daughter Ava Phillippe Introduces Adorable New Family Member
- 5 Things podcast: Anti-science rhetoric heavily funded, well-organized. Can it be stopped?
- Prominent British lawmaker Crispin Blunt reveals he was arrested in connection with rape allegation
- Attorneys for Mel Tucker, Brenda Tracy agree on matter of cellphone messages
- FC Cincinnati player Marco Angulo dies at 22 after injuries from October crash
- Parts of Gaza look like a wasteland from space. Look for the misshapen buildings and swaths of gray
- Prominent British lawmaker Crispin Blunt reveals he was arrested in connection with rape allegation
- Will Ivanka Trump have to testify at her father’s civil fraud trial? Judge to hear arguments Friday
Recommendation
-
Gerry Faust, former Notre Dame football coach, dies at 89
-
Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost Put Their Chemistry on Display in Bloopers Clip
-
Who is Robert Card? Man wanted for questioning in Maine mass shooting
-
As the Turkish Republic turns 100, here’s a look at its achievements and challenges ahead
-
Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
-
South Korean and US forces stage drills for reaction to possible ‘Hamas-style’ attack by North Korea
-
The average long-term US mortgage rate rises for 7th straight week, 30-year loan reaches 7.79%
-
Who is Robert Card? Man wanted for questioning in Maine mass shooting