Extremism: Federal Public Prosecutor: Many “Reich citizens” ready to use violence

extremism
Federal Public Prosecutor: Many “Reich citizens” ready to use violence

During a large-scale anti-terror raid on December 7, 2022, so-called Reich citizens were arrested. photo

© Jochen Lübke/dpa/symbol image

The authorities assume that there are around 23,000 “Reich citizens” in Germany. A large proportion of them would express their fantasies of violence more freely than before, says Attorney General Peter Frank.

After the large-scale anti-terrorist raid against so-called Reich citizens on December 7, the federal prosecutor’s office is looking for information about other possible participants. During the searches, many storage media such as laptops and mobile phones as well as written documents were seized, said Attorney General Peter Frank of the “Welt am Sonntag”. “All of this is currently being evaluated from the point of view of whether the procedure could be extended to other suspects.”

55 accused after anti-terrorist raid

There are currently 55 suspects in the case. 24 of them are in custody, one arrested in Italy is still fighting his extradition. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office accuses all those arrested of being a member or supporter of a terrorist group that wanted to overthrow the political system in Germany.

Frank told the newspaper that the authorities are currently assuming that there are around 23,000 “Reich citizens” in Germany. “Large parts of this scene are ready for active violence or express their fantasies of violence against state representatives more freely than before. That makes these people dangerous from the point of view of state security.” The federal prosecutor’s office therefore “decided to take a more robust approach” in 2022.

In the entire area of ​​right-wing extremism, the number of people who are at risk has risen sharply in the past three or four years and is currently 74. In Frank’s authority, three departments are now working on this phenomenon. In terms of numbers, however, the work is still strongly influenced by Islamist terrorism.

dpa

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