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Germany: More 'Reichsbürger' suspects arrested

May 23, 2023

Members of the "Reichsbürger" group believe the current state is no more than a construct still occupied by Western powers. For them, the German Empire founded in 1871 still exists and so do Germany's pre-WWII borders.

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German federal court emblem
German authorities are seeking to crack down on the "Reichsbürger"Image: Christoph Schmidt/dpa/picture alliance

More than five months after initial raids against a suspected terrorist network linked to the "Reichsbürger" movement, Germany's Criminal Police Office has arrested two more men and a woman, the Federal Prosecutor's Office announced in the southern city of Karlsruhe on Tuesday.

A large-scale raid in three countries in December highlighted the threat posed by the so-called "Reichsbürger" — a radical and violent group that does not recognize Germany as a democratic state. The number of suspects as part of the network with ambitions of overthrowing the state has now risen to 63.

'Reichsbürger' often not opposed to violent tactics

The latest three suspects are from the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony, according to a spokesman for the federal Federal Prosecutor's Office.

The three arrested this week, like most of the other suspects, are accused of being members of the terrorist network while others are allegedly supporting the movement.

A substantial number of the self-proclaimed "Reichsbürger" — which translates as "Citizens of the Reich" — are not averse to violence to reinstate the Reich.

German interior minister lambasts 'terrorist organization'

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) told the Deutschlandfunk media group on Tuesday that the "terrorist organization" is "characterized by fantasies of overthrow by force of arms."

Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), estimated in 2022 that there are around 23,000 "Reichsbürger" in Germany, with 5% of them classified as far-right extremists. 

Though this week's arrest included a female, most of the group are male. On average they are over 50 years old and ascribe to right-wing populist, antisemitic and Nazi ideologies and are spread across the country. A district court judge in Saxony-Anhalt has described them as "conspiracy theorists" and "malcontents."

jsi/wd (dpa, AFP)

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