Trial begins for German far-right coup plotters

BERLIN

The trial of nine far-right extremists, who were charged with plotting a violent coup in Germany, started in the southwestern city of Stuttgart on Monday.

The suspects, including former soldiers and reserve personnel, were accused of being members of a terror group, preparing to commit high treason, and planning terror attacks to overthrow the government.

In their 605-page indictment, the prosecutors said Markus H., Matthias H., Marco van H., Markus L., Andreas M., Alexander Q., Ralf S., Wolfram S. and Steffen W. were senior members of the far-right group Patriotic Union’s military wing.

According to prosecutors, the group planned sensational actions such as storming the German parliament and kidnapping politicians in order to cause civil war-like conditions in the country, and eventually overthrow the government.

The key members of the far-right group, which was led by German aristocrat Heinrich Reuss, were arrested in December 2022. The police conducted further raids in the following months and arrested more suspects linked with the coup plot.

Nearly 380 firearms and over 148,000 pieces of ammunition were seized during searches of several properties belonging to the group members and their supporters.

All the suspects were members or followers of the far-right Reichsburger movement, which rejects the legitimacy of the Federal Republic of Germany and believes that the country is governed by members of a so-called “deep state.”

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency BfV estimates that the movement has around 23,000 followers.