German legal opinion says far-right AfD party is unconstitutional

Germany's far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) meets several criteria for unconstitutionality as it violates the principles of democracy and human dignity, according to a report published Thursday by the non-governmental organization Society for Civil Rights (GFF).

The legal report reaches the "clear conclusion that the AfD is unconstitutional," said Bijan Moini, legal director of GFF, at a press briefing in Berlin.

A motion to ban the party would therefore "in our assessment, likely be successful," he added.

Moini headed an eight-member team — consisting of four lawyers, a social scientist, an ethnologist and a data analyst — that compiled the 1,500-page analysis over 13 months.

Based on its goals and the behavior of its supporters, the report concluded that the AfD aims to "undermine the free democratic fundamental order."

Only the German parliament (Bundestag), the upper house (Bundesrat) or the federal government can file a motion to ban a party with the Federal Constitutional Court, which would then make the final ruling on constitutionality.