Germany arrests minors over alleged attacks on asylum seekers, migrants
German police have arrested five people accused of involvement with a far-right group calling itself 'Last Wave of Defence', which allegedly aimed to carry out attacks on asylum seekers, migrants and political opponents.
The early-morning arrests on Wednesday in various parts of Germany followed arson attacks on a community centre and a refugee shelter.
Germany's Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said in a statement that what was 'particularly shocking is that all those arrested today are said to have been minors when the terrorist group was founded'.
According to federal prosecutors, 13 properties were also searched on Wednesday as part of the operation.
Four of those arrested – identified only as Benjamin H, Ben-Maxim H, Lenny M and Jason R, in line with German privacy rules – are suspected of membership in a domestic terrorist organisation.
The fifth, Jerome M, is accused of supporting the group. Two of the arrested are also accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. Their ages were not disclosed.
Prosecutors said they are also investigating three other people who are already in custody.
According to the prosecutors, the group was formed in mid-April 2024 or earlier.
They said that its members saw themselves as the last resort to defend the 'German nation' and aimed to bring about the collapse of Germany's democratic order.
Two of the suspects set a fire at a cultural centre in Altdobern in eastern Germany in October, prosecutors alleged, adding that several people living in the building at the time escaped injury only by chance.
In January, another two suspects allegedly broke a window at a home for asylum seekers in Schmolln and tried unsuccessfully to start a blaze by setting off fireworks.
They daubed the group's initials and slogans such as 'Foreigners out,' 'Germany for the Germans' and 'Nazi area' on the walls, as well as swastikas, prosecutors said.
Also in January, three suspects allegedly planned an arson attack on a home for asylum seekers in Senftenberg, but it never came about because of the earlier arrests of two of the men.
Politically motivated crimes in Germany surged about 40 percent to a record high last year, a report by the interior ministry showed on Tuesday, with an especially sharp growth seen in far-right violence.
In recent years, anti-immigrant and refugee sentiments have grown in Germany, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) expanding its number of seats in the German parliament on an anti-immigrant platform in elections earlier this year.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz had also campaigned on dramatically tightening border policy and bringing irregular migration to a halt. Since taking office under a coalition, his government has also laid out a range of tougher proposals, including suspending family reunification for many refugees, and implementing plans for deportations to previously excluded countries such as Syria and Afghanistan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
How to become a bike-friendly city? Lessons from a Paris revolution
Smog once choked Paris streets. Now, cleaner air, grassroots pressure and a bold city agenda are reshaping how the city breathes and moves. From bottom-up activism to political pushback, Paris's transformation reveals a success story in the fight to reclaim public space. In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolome and Sari el-Khalili, with Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Mariana Navarrete, Remas Alhawari, Kisaa Zehra, and our host, Manuel Rapalo. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. The Take production team is Marcos Bartolome, Sonia Bhagat, Sari el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K Li, Kylene Kiang, Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Remas Alhawari, Kingwell Ma, Mariana Navarrete, and Kisaa Zehra. Our guest host is Kevin Hirten. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
Al Jazeera
12 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
What are the threats facing Europe?
Under the slogan 'welfare not warfare', protesters have come out in force in London, objecting to the British government's plans to increase military spending while cutting back on social support. Like its European allies in NATO, the United Kingdom is under pressure from the United States to take responsibility for its own security in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the European public – most of whom are facing a cost-of-living crisis – may well object as much as the British. So can NATO allies build a defence force strong enough to counter any threats from Russia without US support? And how will European leaders address possible public discontent? Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam Guests: Paul Beaver – defence analyst Aaron Gasch Burnett – senior fellow at the Democratic Strategy Initiative, a political think tank Jeremy Corbyn – independent member of the UK Parliament
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Al Jazeera
European Union backs ICC after US sanctions on court judges
The European Union 'deeply regrets' the United States sanctions placed on four judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday announced sanctions on four judges whom the US accuses of taking 'illegitimate and baseless actions' against the US and its allies. Responding to the announcement on Friday, von der Leyen said the Hague-based court had the 'full support' of the EU. 'The ICC holds perpetrators of the world's gravest crimes to account & gives victims a voice,' von der Leyen said on X on Friday. 'It must be free to act without pressure.' United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said he was 'profoundly disturbed' by the US decision. 'Attacks against judges for performance of their judicial functions, at national or international levels, run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood,' Turk said. 'Such attacks are deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice,' he added, calling for the sanctions to be withdrawn. Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, which represents national governments of the 27 EU member states, also called the court 'a cornerstone of international justice' and said its independence and integrity must be US State Department said the sanctions were issued after the court made decisions to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a separate decision in 2020 to open an investigation into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan. The four sanctioned judges include Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. EU member Slovenia said it 'rejects pressure on judicial institutions' and urged the EU to use its blocking statute. 'Due to the inclusion of a citizen of an EU member state on the sanctions list, Slovenia will propose the immediate activation of the blocking act,' Slovenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X. The mechanism lets the EU ban European companies from complying with US sanctions that Brussels deems unlawful. The power has been used in the past to prevent Washington from banning European trade with Cuba and US sanctions mean the judges are added to a list of specially designated sanctioned individuals. Any US assets they have will be blocked and they are put on an automated screening service used not only by US banks but by many banks worldwide, making it very difficult for sanctioned people to hold or open bank accounts or transfer money. This is not the first time the US has issued restrictions against an ICC official since Trump returned to office for a second term on January 20. Shortly after taking office, Trump issued a broad executive order threatening anyone who participates in ICC investigations with sanctions. Critics warned that such sweeping language could pervert the course of justice, for example, by dissuading witnesses from coming forward with evidence. But Trump argued that the 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant necessitated such measures. He also claimed that the US and Israel were 'thriving democracies' that 'strictly adhere to the laws of war' and that the ICC's investigations threatened military members with 'harassment, abuse and possible arrest'.
