Far-right AfD moves to expel 'Saxonian Separatist' militants

The far-right Alternative for Germany party on Wednesday said it was moving swiftly to expel three individuals arrested as suspected members of the "Saxonian Separatists" — a far-right militant group seeking to establish a state and society based on Nazism.

A day earlier, police had arrested eight suspected members of the group, who had reportedly planned to take control of whole areas of eastern Germany.

Who are the Saxonian Separatists?

Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office describes the group as a small militant organization of some 15 to 20 individuals hoping to "establish a state and society based on National Socialism" in eastern Germany.

Prosecutors said its members share a deep rejection of Germany's free and democratic constitutional order and an ideology underpinned by racist, anti-Semitic and apocalyptic beliefs.

The group is said to be convinced that Germany is teetering on the edge of "collapse," and seeks to take control of parts of the state of Saxony and possibly other eastern German states by force.

Under the group's plan, prosecutors say, "undesired groups of people are to be removed from the area by ethnic cleansing if necessary."

What we know about the raids

The arrests took place in and around Leipzig, in the Saxon capital Dresden, and in the district of Meissen, as well as the Polish border town of Zgorzelec.

An investigating judge on Tuesday issued a pre-trial detention order for six of the suspects, according to a spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor's Office in the western city of Karlsruhe.

Another man who was arrested was a worker in the office of the AfD state parliament member Alexander Wiesner, who instantly dismissed him. The suspect sustained a jaw injury during his arrest, security sources said, and was being treated in hospital.

Another accused individual, arrested in Poland, is to be brought before the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe after his transfer.

AfD says expulsions taking place

After the arrests, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party said it planned to expel three party members who were suspected of belonging to the Saxonian Separatists, the party leader for the eastern state of Saxony said on Wednesday.

"The AfD rejects any form of violence in political debate. Even preparations for possible acts of violence or uprisings are unacceptable," Jörg Urban said.

The state party said the executive committee's decision to expel the members was unanimous, but that this still had to be ruled on by the state arbitration court.

The leaders of the national party, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, said in a statement that they supported the expulsions.

In 2022, German authorities exposed a more expansive "Reichsbürger" movement, led by a would-be prince with ambitions to overthrow the state and install a caretaker government. The case provoked shock in Germany because of its detailed network and planning.

rc/wmr (dpa)