BERLIN

A criminal complaint has been filed against a far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party lawmaker for allegedly giving a Nazi salute, the Prosecutor's Office said on Monday.

In a statement, the Berlin Prosecutor's Office said the complaint has been filed against Matthias Moosdorf for using symbols of "unconstitutional organizations."

German law outlaws the use of symbols of "unconstitutional organizations," which is punishable by up to three years in prison.

The 60-year-old politician was accused of greeting a party member with the gesture known as the "Hitler salute" in the cloakroom area of ​​parliament on June 22, 2023.

In October, the Bundestag lifted parliamentary immunity from Moosdorf, who sits in parliament for the eastern state of Saxony, as well as other AfD lawmaker Stefan Brandner, for allegedly using Nazi greetings and insulting a journalist.

Moosdorf has faced criticism for his "pro-Russian stance" and his position as an honorary professor at Moscow's Gnessin Russian Academy of Music.