German soldier arrested over video threat

A German soldier was arrested on Thursday after releasing a video in which he threatened the government.

"Officers from Munich police arrested a Bundeswehr soldier in Munich's city center, who is suspected of publicly inciting crimes," police in nearby Upper Bavaria wrote on Twitter late on Thursday. 

They said the criminal police unit based in Rosenheim, Bavaria, would take over the case and that the suspect was in their custody.

The man was then released on Friday morning. A police spokesperson said there were no grounds for further detention. However, an investgation is ongoing.

The Defense Ministry earlier released a statement condemning the video, which was widely shared on social media.

"A video of a supposed soldier, which has been shared here a lot, is currently circulating online," the ministry wrote on Twitter. "It contains threats against the rule of law that are unacceptable. The consequences are already being examined," it added.

Ultimatum over vaccine mandates

The man who appears in the video is dressed in a Bundeswehr uniform and gives what he claims to be his surname and rank, a junior officer akin to a sergeant or staff sergeant.

His message targets the vaccine mandate for both health care workers and soldiers.

He then warns the German state that it has until "tomorrow at 4 p.m." to revoke these rules, without specifying which day he meant (the video appears to have been posted around midnight local time) or what he claimed to be threatening.

Police in the region of Upper Bavaria also said on Twitter that they were "aware of the videos and their contents," and their officers had "already taken up the case." 

Man arrested

Police later announced they had arrested the man, and confirmed he was a Bundeswehr soldier.

"Officers of the Munich Police arrested a Bundeswehr soldier in the center of Munich who is suspected of publicly inciting people to commit crimes. The further processing of the case lies with the Criminal Investigation Department Rosenheim, which has taken custody of the arrested man," police announced on Twitter.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Twitter: "The Bundeswehr needs reflective and upstanding people who have a solid grounding in our Basic Law. Anyone who does not share this has no place in our Bundeswehr!"

Coronavirus extremists proliferate

Protests in Germany against pandemic restrictions have intensified of late, according to comments from one of the country's police trade unions on Wednesday, which said the strain on their officers was becoming excessive. 

Earlier in the month, police uncovered a potential plot to assassinate the state premier of Saxony by a group of extremists opposing coronavirus vaccinations.

Numerous reports of far-right extremists within the German armed forces in recent years have also caused outrage and, in some cases, led to dismissals or even prosecutions.

About 71% of people in Germany are fully vaccinated, although this share goes up when only counting people aged 18 and above.

The new German government has said it will consider introducing a full-scale obligation to be vaccinated in 2022. Current restrictions limit most activities for the unvaccinated.

ab,aw/msh (AFP, dpa)