German prosecutors announced on Tuesday the arrest of eight suspected members of a neo-Nazi paramilitary group. He was based in eastern Germany, from where he fomented violent actions directed against German institutions.
The suspects are alleged members of an organization founded in 2020 under the name “Saxon Separatists” with a “racist, anti-Semitic” ideology and “united by a deep rejection of the liberal and democratic order”, according to a press release from the prosecution. federal.
This organization, which has between 15 and 20 members, assumes that Germany “is on the verge of collapse” and “that one day (…) the state and society will descend into chaos.”
In preparation for this day, the members of the small group underwent paramilitary training with combat equipment. They notably practiced handling firearms, night marches or forced marches, as well as patrols.
In addition, the group had obtained military equipment such as camouflage outfits, combat helmets, gas masks and bulletproof vests, specifies the prosecution.
The cell reportedly considered “conquering by force” territories in eastern Germany, “in order to establish a state and social system inspired by National Socialism.” It also planned to eliminate “people deemed undesirable, if necessary through ethnic cleansing,” according to the prosecution specializing in terrorism cases.
The dismantling of this extremist group mobilized 450 law enforcement agents during an operation in eastern Germany, particularly in Leipzig and Dresden.
The main suspect, designated as Jörg S., was arrested in Poland, in Zgorzelec, not far from the German border.
Searches also took place in Austria, in the cities of Vienna and Krems. The suspects must be presented Tuesday and Wednesday to a judge who will decide whether or not to place them in pre-trial detention.
While the far-right German party, AfD, continues to make progress in recent local elections, with record scores in the eastern regions of the country. Germany has already dismantled several far-right cells in recent years. One of the most important, led by an aristocrat, has been on trial for several months for having prepared a coup d’état.
