Latest news with #Ben-MaximH.
21-05-2025
Germany says it broke up a far-right group that planned attacks. 5 teens arrested
BERLIN -- German police on Wednesday arrested five teenagers accused of involvement with a right-wing extremist group calling itself 'Last Defense Wave' that allegedly aimed to destabilize the country's democratic system by carrying out attacks on migrants and political opponents. The early-morning arrests in various parts of Germany were accompanied by searches at 13 properties, federal prosecutors said in a statement. 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 terror organization. The fifth, Jerome M., is accused of supporting the group. Two of the arrested also are accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. All are between the ages of 14 and 18. Prosecutors said they are also investigating three other people, ages 18 to 21, who are already in custody. All the suspects are German citizens. 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, with attacks on homes for asylum-seekers and on facilities associated with the left-wing political spectrum. Two of the suspects set a fire at a cultural center in Altdöbern in eastern Germany in October, prosecutors said, 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 Schmölln 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," 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. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said it was 'particularly shocking' that all of those arrested Wednesday were minors at the time the group was allegedly founded. 'This is an alarm signal and it shows that right-wing extremist terrorism knows no age,' Hubig said in a statement. In a separate case a week ago, German authorities banned a far-right group called 'Kingdom of Germany' as a threat to the country's democratic order and arrested four of its alleged leaders. In an annual report released Tuesday, the Federal Criminal Police Office said that the number of violent crimes with a right-wing motivation was up 17.2% last year to 1,488. That was part of an overall increase in violent politically motivated offenses to 4,107, an increase of 15.3%.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Germany says it broke up a far-right group that planned attacks, five people have been arrested
German police arrested five people on Wednesday (May 21, 2025), accused of involvement with a far-right group calling itself 'Last Defence Wave' that allegedly aimed to destabilise the country's democratic system by carrying out attacks on migrants and political opponents. The early-morning arrests in various parts of Germany were accompanied by searches at 13 properties, federal prosecutors said in a statement. 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 terror organisation. The fifth, Jerome M., is accused of supporting the group. Two of the arrested also are accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. 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 center in Altdöbern in eastern Germany in October,' prosecutors said, '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 Schmölln 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.
NBC News
21-05-2025
- NBC News
Teenagers arrested as Germany says it broke up a far-right group planning attacks
Police in Germany arrested five teenagers accused of involvement with a right-wing extremist group calling itself 'Last Defense Wave' that allegedly aimed to destabilize the country's democratic system by carrying out attacks on migrants and political opponents. The early-morning arrests in various parts of the country on Wednesday were accompanied by searches at 13 properties, federal prosecutors said in a statement. 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 terror organization. The fifth, Jerome M., is accused of supporting the group. Two of the arrested also are accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. All are between the ages of 14 and 18. Prosecutors said they are also investigating three other people, ages 18 to 21, who are already in custody. All the suspects are German citizens. 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, with attacks on homes for asylum-seekers and on facilities associated with the left-wing political spectrum. Two of the suspects set a fire at a cultural center in Altdöbern in eastern Germany in October, prosecutors said, 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 Schmölln 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,' 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. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said it was 'particularly shocking' that all of those arrested Wednesday were minors at the time the group was allegedly founded. 'This is an alarm signal and it shows that right-wing extremist terrorism knows no age,' Hubig said in a statement. In a separate case a week ago, German authorities banned a far-right group called 'Kingdom of Germany' as a threat to the country's democratic order and arrested four of its alleged leaders. In an annual report released Tuesday, the Federal Criminal Police Office said that the number of violent crimes with a right-wing motivation was up 17.2% last year to 1,488. That was part of an overall increase in violent politically motivated offenses to 4,107, an increase of 15.3%.
The Hill
21-05-2025
- The Hill
Germany says it broke up a far-right group that planned attacks. 5 teens have been arrested
BERLIN (AP) — German police on Wednesday arrested five teenagers accused of involvement with a right-wing extremist group calling itself 'Last Defense Wave' that allegedly aimed to destabilize the country's democratic system by carrying out attacks on migrants and political opponents. The early-morning arrests in various parts of Germany were accompanied by searches at 13 properties, federal prosecutors said in a statement. 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 terror organization. The fifth, Jerome M., is accused of supporting the group. Two of the arrested also are accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. All are between the ages of 14 and 18. Prosecutors said they are also investigating three other people, ages 18 to 21, who are already in custody. All the suspects are German citizens. 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, with attacks on homes for asylum-seekers and on facilities associated with the left-wing political spectrum. Two of the suspects set a fire at a cultural center in Altdöbern in eastern Germany in October, prosecutors said, 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 Schmölln 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,' 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. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said it was 'particularly shocking' that all of those arrested Wednesday were minors at the time the group was allegedly founded. 'This is an alarm signal and it shows that right-wing extremist terrorism knows no age,' Hubig said in a statement. In a separate case a week ago, German authorities banned a far-right group called 'Kingdom of Germany' as a threat to the country's democratic order and arrested four of its alleged leaders. In an annual report released Tuesday, the Federal Criminal Police Office said that the number of violent crimes with a right-wing motivation was up 17.2% last year to 1,488. That was part of an overall increase in violent politically motivated offenses to 4,107, an increase of 15.3%.
Local Germany
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
German police arrest five members of a suspected right-wing terrorist cell
German police arrested five people on Wednesday who are accused of plotting acts of violence with a far-right group which calls itself ' Letzte Verteidigungswelle " or "the Last Wave of Defence". The five suspects were arrested in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Hesse in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The Federal Prosecutor General in Karlsruhe said the suspects are between 14 and 18 years old. The Associated Press reported that four of the arrested — identified as Benjamin H., Ben-Maxim H., Lenny M. and Jason R. — are suspected of membership in a domestic terror organization, and the fifth, Jerome M., is accused of supporting the group. Members of the group are said to have planned attacks on refugees and political dissidents. Two of the arrested also are accused of attempted murder and aggravated arson. According to the Prosecutor General, searches have been conducted at a total of 13 properties in Saxony and Thuringia. Another three German nationals, aged 18 to 21, are already in custody. What is the 'Last Wave of Defence' The "Last Wave of Defence" is comprised of young neo-Nazis and is active in several German states. It is believed to have been founded in April 2024. The Prosecutor General explained, "Their goal is to bring about a collapse of the democratic system in the Federal Republic of Germany through acts of violence, primarily against migrants and political opponents." A report by Spiegel notes that the group has been recruiting followers via social media such as Instagram, TikTok and Telegram since last year. There are other similar known right-wing extremist groups in Germany, such as: "Jung und Stark" (Young and Strong), "Der Störtrupp" (Disruptive Force) and "Deutsche Jugend Voran" (German Youth Forwards). Advertisement Planned attack on asylum seekers In February, Saxon investigators had prevented an allegedly planned attack on an asylum shelter in Senftenberg, Brandenburg, thanks to information from a journalist. On February 12th, an apartment and another property were searched in Meissen, Saxony. Following the raid, the Dresden Public Prosecutor's Office said "ball bomb" explosives were found, as well as brass knuckles, one-handed knives, ammunition, alarm and airsoft guns. A 21-year-old German was arrested on the day of the search. Research by the same team of reporters also assisted in an investigation of an arson attack on a cultural centre in Altdöbern, Brandenburg in October. The building had been almost completely destroyed by the fire. Two 15 year olds had been arrested in February, but were later released. They were among the young men arrested Wednesday morning. German authorities also believe the group was responsible for spray painting the façade of a refugee shelter in Schmölln, Thuringia with right-wing extremist symbols and xenophobic phrases. "It is particularly shocking that all those arrested today are said to have been minors when the terrorist group was founded," said Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD). READ ALSO: 'Society is being radicalised' - Germany sees massive spike in politically motivated crime With reporting by DPA.
