AfD politician is not commenting for the time being

In Hall The trial against the Thuringian AfD parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke has begun. He is accused of publicly using a banned slogan of the paramilitary NSDAP combat organization SA at a party event in 2021. On the first day of the trial, Höcke did not comment on the accusation. His client will speak before the Halle regional court later and also answer questions from the public prosecutor, one of his defense lawyers said on Thursday. The next day of the hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday.

The Thuringian AfD leader Höcke is said to have used the symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Höcke said a Nazi slogan in Merseburg (Saalekreis) in 2021 and again in Gera in 2023, at a time when the charges for the first case were known. Originally, both cases were supposed to be heard together before the regional court in Halle.

Shortly before the trial began, however, the chamber decided on Wednesday to separate the case in Gera from that in Merseburg, as a court spokeswoman announced on Thursday morning. The reason for this is that Höcke’s defense changed at short notice and therefore did not have the opportunity to inspect the files on the case in Gera. As the trial progresses, the two cases could be brought together again.

The Thuringian AfD leader denies the allegations. The hearing at the Halle regional court takes place under high security precautions. According to a spokeswoman, journalists from all over the world have registered for the process.

There were protests in front of the courthouse in Halle in the morning. According to police information, a total of 570 participants took part in a demonstration.

The trial against Höcke began with a delay. According to MDR information, the reason is the large number of process observers and media representatives. The hearing was initially interrupted after it began. The reason was, among other things, that Höcke’s defense wanted to have a continuous audio recording of the trial. The court rejected the request for audio recording. Judge Jan Stengel said that the rejection would not jeopardize a fair trial against Höcke.

Because of the special importance of the case, the Naumburg Higher Regional Court decided to have the trial take place at the Halle Regional Court and not, as originally planned, at the Merseburg District Court. According to the court, a verdict could be announced in mid-May.

Höcke will not only have to face a trial in Halle. An indictment was also admitted at the regional court in Mühlhausen (Thuringia) – there it concerns the accusation of incitement to hatred. The background is a post by Höcke on Telegram in 2022 after a fatal knife attack by a Somali in Oggersheim, Rhineland-Palatinate. There have been numerous investigations against Björn Höcke. In Halle he now has to appear in court for the first time. The prerequisite was that Höcke’s parliamentary immunity was lifted by the Thuringian state parliament.

If convicted, the penalty ranges from a fine to a prison sentence of up to three years. The presumption of innocence applies until a possible conviction. Four days of negotiations have been scheduled so far.

In Thuringia will elect a new state parliament on September 1st, and Höcke is expected to enter the race as the AfD’s top candidate. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Thuringia classifies Höcke, who is the AfD state party and parliamentary group leader in the Free State, as right-wing extremists a. The state associations of the AfD in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are also listed as right-wing extremists.

dpa, AFP, MDR (André Plaul, Lucas Riemer)