German federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced that special forces in Germany arrested 25 persons suspected of backing a domestic terrorist organization that wanted to topple the government and build its own state.
Some 3,000 police and Special Forces officers detained people believed to be members and supporters of the group, which prosecutors said had formed in the last year and was operating on the conviction that “Germany is currently ruled by members of a so-called deep state” that needed to be deposed.
According to authorities, the group’s objectives included an armed attack on the German Parliament building, known as the Reichstag, and members had planned weaponry training and attempted to recruit employees from German security forces. The prosecutors also stated that the members of the group had formed a sort of shadow government that they wanted to establish if their plans were successful.
The prosecutors described the group, which they did not name, as being influenced by the ideologies of the conspiracy group QAnon and a right-wing German conspiracy group called the Reichsbürger, or Citizens of the Reich, which believes that Germany’s post-World War II republic is a corporation set up by the victorious Allies, rather than a sovereign country.
Authorities believe that the group was formed in late 2021. Its aim was “to overcome the existing state order in Germany and to establish its own form of state, the outlines of which have already been worked out,” the prosecutors said in the statement.
“The members of the organization were aware that this goal can only be achieved through the use of military means and violence against state representatives,” the statement added. “This also included commissioning killings.”
Among those arrested was a man who had attempted to contact representatives of the Russian government about the intentions, however there was no indication that they had received a good reaction from the Russian contacts they had contacted. The individual was generally identified by German news media as Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss, a descendant of a previous German royal family. Because of his role in the Reichsbürger scene, the Reuss family has long distanced itself from Heinrich XIII.
Another detainee, identified by prosecutors as Birgit M.-W., was accused of being appointed to lead the group’s justice arm. The individual was later named by German media as Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a Berlin judge and member of Alternative for Germany. From 2017 to 2021, she was a member of Parliament.
Many of those detained had military training and included former German soldiers, including those from the former East German army, and were known to be heavily armed with illegally obtained weapons.
According to the prosecution, the group believes that liberation will come with the intervention of the “Alliance,” a technically superior secret coalition of governments, intelligence services, and militaries from numerous states, including Russia and the United States.
Conspiracy theories have played a major role in fueling far-right sentiments that led to a few violent manifestations in recent years. In 2020, far-right followers, Q-Anon supporters, and anti-vaccine activists attempted to assault the Reichstag during a protest against coronavirus measures in Berlin–similar to the January 6th US Capitol attack.
Information for this briefing was found via The New York Times. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
