Current:Home > ContactGerman prosecutors indict 27 people in connection with an alleged far-right coup plot -TruePath Finance
German prosecutors indict 27 people in connection with an alleged far-right coup plot
View
Date:2025-04-19 16:16:24
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! (771)
Related
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- How many national championships has Michigan won? Wolverines title history explained
- Man says exploding toilet in Dunkin' left him covered in waste, debris. Now he's suing.
- UN somber economic forecast cites conflicts, sluggish trade, high interest and climate disasters
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- AP Week in Pictures: Asia
- Oscar Pistorius is set to be released on parole. He will be strictly monitored until December 2029
- What can ordinary taxpayers learn from the $700m Shohei Ohtani baseball megadeal?
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Federal appeals court denies effort to block state-run court in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital
Ranking
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- New York City subway train derails in collision with another train, injuring more than 20 people
- Striking doctors in England at loggerheads with hospitals over calls to return to work
- Love Is Blind’s Renee Sues Netflix Over “Walking Red Flag” Fiancé Carter
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Huge, cannibal invasive frog concerns Georgia wildlife officials: 'This could be a problem'
- Body found in freezer at San Diego home may have been woman missing for years, police say
- AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
Recommendation
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
The Book Report: Ron Charles' favorite novels of 2023
Make these 5 New Year's resolutions to avoid scams this year
Bomb threats prompt evacuations of government buildings in several states, but no explosives found
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
Kaitlyn Bristowe Disappointed in Ex Jason Tartick for Leaning Into the Victim Mentality After Breakup
Trump's businesses got at least $7.8 million in foreign payments while he was president, House Democrats say
Taco Bell's new box meals make it easy to cook a crunchwrap or quesadilla at home