Latest news with #KoblenzHigherRegionalCourt
Euronews
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
How do footballers adapt during the Holy month of Ramadan?
The defendants had planned to use bombs to cause nationwide blackouts and kidnap former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, prosecutors said. ADVERTISEMENT A German court has jailed five people for plotting to overthrow the country's government in a far-right coup. The defendants also planned to kidnap a former German health minister. The defendants were convicted of founding or being a member of a terrorist organisation called "Vereinte Patrioten" (United Patriots) and of preparing treasonous acts against the German government involving explosives and attacks on the country's power grid. On Thursday, Koblenz Higher Regional Court sentenced the ringleaders — four men aged between 46 and 58 — to prison terms ranging from five years and nine months to eight years. The fifth defendant — a 77-year-old woman — received a jail term of two years and ten months. Their names were not released for privacy reasons. The sentences mark the end of a trial which began in May 2023. Federal prosecutors said during the trial that the defendants had ties to the Reichsbürger (Reich Citizens) movement that rejects the legitimacy of Germany's postwar constitution. Prosecutors said the group planned to create "conditions similar to civil war" by using bombs to cause nationwide blackouts and by kidnapping former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who was an advocate of strict coronavirus measures during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were no indications that the defendants were actually close to launching a coup, but prosecutors said the group's procurement of weapons and money showed they were "dangerous criminals who wanted to implement their plans". In a separate case, 25 people were arrested in December 2022 for planning to topple the government as part of a domestic terrorist organisation. Among the plotters was a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Berlin has warned for years of the growing threat posed by far-right extremists and has repeatedly cracked down on such groups.
Euronews
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
National leader Berdimuhamedow on Turkmenistan's neutrality and EU ties
The defendants had planned to use bombs to cause nationwide blackouts and kidnap former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, prosecutors said. ADVERTISEMENT A German court has jailed five people for plotting to overthrow the country's government in a far-right coup. The defendants also planned to kidnap a former German health minister. The defendants were convicted of founding or being a member of a terrorist organisation called "Vereinte Patrioten" (United Patriots) and of preparing treasonous acts against the German government involving explosives and attacks on the country's power grid. On Thursday, Koblenz Higher Regional Court sentenced the ringleaders — four men aged between 46 and 58 — to prison terms ranging from five years and nine months to eight years. The fifth defendant — a 77-year-old woman — received a jail term of two years and ten months. Their names were not released for privacy reasons. The sentences mark the end of a trial which began in May 2023. Federal prosecutors said during the trial that the defendants had ties to the Reichsbürger (Reich Citizens) movement that rejects the legitimacy of Germany's postwar constitution. Prosecutors said the group planned to create "conditions similar to civil war" by using bombs to cause nationwide blackouts and by kidnapping former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who was an advocate of strict coronavirus measures during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were no indications that the defendants were actually close to launching a coup, but prosecutors said the group's procurement of weapons and money showed they were "dangerous criminals who wanted to implement their plans". In a separate case, 25 people were arrested in December 2022 for planning to topple the government as part of a domestic terrorist organisation. Among the plotters was a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Berlin has warned for years of the growing threat posed by far-right extremists and has repeatedly cracked down on such groups.
Euronews
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Five jailed in Germany for far-right plot to overthrow the government
The defendants had planned to use bombs to cause nationwide blackouts and kidnap former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, prosecutors said. ADVERTISEMENT A German court has jailed five people for plotting to overthrow the country's government in a far-right coup. The defendants also planned to kidnap a former German health minister. The defendants were convicted of founding or being a member of a terrorist organisation called "Vereinte Patrioten" (United Patriots) and of preparing treasonous acts against the German government involving explosives and attacks on the country's power grid. On Thursday, Koblenz Higher Regional Court sentenced the ringleaders — four men aged between 46 and 58 — to prison terms ranging from five years and nine months to eight years. The fifth defendant — a 77-year-old woman — received a jail term of two years and ten months. Their names were not released for privacy reasons. The sentences mark the end of a trial which began in May 2023. Federal prosecutors said during the trial that the defendants had ties to the Reichsbürger (Reich Citizens) movement that rejects the legitimacy of Germany's postwar constitution. Prosecutors said the group planned to create "conditions similar to civil war" by using bombs to cause nationwide blackouts and by kidnapping former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who was an advocate of strict coronavirus measures during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were no indications that the defendants were actually close to launching a coup, but prosecutors said the group's procurement of weapons and money showed they were "dangerous criminals who wanted to implement their plans". In a separate case, 25 people were arrested in December 2022 for planning to topple the government as part of a domestic terrorist organisation. Among the plotters was a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Berlin has warned for years of the growing threat posed by far-right extremists and has repeatedly cracked down on such groups.
Los Angeles Times
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
5 convicted of plotting to overthrow the German government and kidnap former health minister
BERLIN — A German court on Thursday convicted five people of plotting to overthrow the government in a far-right coup and kidnap the former health minister. The Koblenz Higher Regional Court sentenced four of them to prison sentences lasting between five years and nine months to eight years. The fifth defendant received a sentence of two years and 10 months, German news agency dpa reported. The defendants, four men between the ages of 46 and 58 and a 77-year-old woman, were accused of founding or being a member of a terrorist organization called United Patriots and of preparing a highly treasonous enterprise against the German government. Federal prosecutors said during the trial that the group was linked to the so-called Reich Citizens scene that rejects the legitimacy of Germany's postwar constitution and has similarities to the Sovereign Citizens and QAnon movements in the United States. Prosecutors said they intended to create 'conditions similar to civil war' by using explosives to cause nationwide blackouts and then by kidnapping former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach — a prominent advocate of strict coronavirus measures during the pandemic. There were no indications that the group was close to launching a coup. But prosecutors said the group's procurement of weapons and money showed they were 'dangerous criminals who wanted to implement their plans.' The case is separate from that of the more than two dozen people arrested in December 2022, also for planning to topple the government. Among the plotters was a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Voice of America
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
5 convicted of plot to overthrow German government, kidnap health minister
A German court on Thursday convicted five people of plotting to overthrow the government in a far-right coup and kidnap the former health minister. The Koblenz Higher Regional Court sentenced the four ringleaders to prison sentences between five years and nine months to eight years. A fifth defendant received a sentence of two years and 10 months, German news agency dpa reported. The defendants, four men aged 46 to 58 and a 77-year-old woman, were accused of founding or being a member of a terrorist organization called "United Patriots" and of preparing a highly treasonous enterprise against the German government. Federal prosecutors said during the trial that the group was linked to the so-called Reich Citizens scene that rejects the legitimacy of Germany's postwar constitution and has similarities to the Sovereign Citizens and QAnon movements in the United States. Prosecutors said they intended to create "conditions similar to civil war" by using explosives to cause nationwide blackouts and then by kidnapping former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach — a prominent advocate of strict coronavirus measures during the pandemic. There were no indications the group, which called itself United Patriots, was close to launching a coup. But prosecutors said the group's procurement of weapons and money showed they were "dangerous criminals who wanted to implement their plans." The case is separate from that of the more than two dozen people arrested in December 2022, also for planning to topple the government. Among the plotters was a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
