radicalization
New report on right-wing extremists in security agencies
A Bundeswehr soldier is standing in the Alb barracks. For the second time, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has published a situation report entitled “Right-wing extremists in security authorities”. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
More than 100 cases per year related to right-wing extremism: employees of German security authorities took part in relevant events or were observed shouting “Heil Hitler”.
Within three years, 327 employees of the federal and state security authorities were noticed who had connections to right-wing extremism or to the scene of the so-called Reichsbürger and Selbstverwalter.
This emerges from the second situation report on “right-wing extremists in the security authorities”, which the Federal Ministry of the Interior in Berlin has published and which the German Press Agency has already received. The report covers the period from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021. Participation in extremist events or shouts of “Heil Hitler” were observed, for example.
No indication of national network
Even if some actors were active in chat groups in which right-wing extremist content was shared, the report provides no evidence of a national network of extremists from different security agencies.
However, what the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, who compiled the information, noticed were the numerous connections between employees classified as right-wing extremists and extremist actors and parties, as well as organizations in the hooligan and martial arts scene, which are attributed to “subcultural right-wing extremism”.
According to the information, the activities of a total of 860 employees were observed during the survey period. According to the report, 38 percent of the evaluated cases met the requirements for further intelligence processing.
Scene counts around 19,000 people
83 right-wing extremists were identified in the business area of the military counter-intelligence service, which includes around 242,000 soldiers of the Bundeswehr and civilian employees. 18 right-wing extremists were noticed in the Federal Police, which currently has more than 54,000 employees. According to the report, there were four right-wing extremist employees at customs, two at the Federal Criminal Police Office, and one employee each at the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Intelligence Service and the Bundestag police.
In addition, there are a total of 30 suspected cases and proven cases of extremism by employees of the federal security authorities, who are attributed to the “Reich citizens” and self-government scene. The so-called Reichsbürger and Selbstverwalter doubt the legitimacy of the Federal Republic of Germany. They often refuse to pay taxes. The security authorities recently attributed around 19,000 people to the scene.