Latest news with #rightwingextremism
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German police chief warns of rising right-wing youth radicalization
The head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, has issued a warning about the increasing radicalization of young people within right-wing extremist circles. "For about a year, we've increasingly seen very young people with right-wing views becoming more radicalized and forming, at times, well-organized groups to carry out serious crimes," Münch told the Funke media group of newspapers in remarks published on Saturday. He highlighted the growing role of the internet as a networking space for the far-right scene. "Radicalization, recruitment and mobilization increasingly happen via social networks and right-wing forums," Münch said. The high number and severity of far-right motivated crimes pose a "major challenge" to security agencies, which are responding with increased surveillance, according to Münch. Münch emphasized that tackling the issue is not solely the responsibility of the police, but a challenge that requires joint effort across all parts of society to prevent serious acts of violence. Earlier this week, German federal prosecutors launched a crackdown on a far-right extremist cell accused of plotting violent attacks targeting migrants. Five male suspects aged 14 to 18 were arrested in coordinated raids. The teens are accused of being part of - or in one case supporting - a group that calls itself the Last Wave of Defence. According to prosecutors, the group aimed to destabilize Germany's democratic system through acts of violence, primarily targeting migrants and political opponents.
CTV News
21-05-2025
- CTV News
Germany says it broke up a far-right group that planned attacks. 5 teens have been 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 per cent 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%. Geir Moulson, The Associated Press
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Arab News
Germany says it broke up a far-right group that planned attacks. 5 teens have been 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 percent 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 percent.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Telegraph
Nazi-worshipping trio's cache of swords and crossbows uncovered
A trio of Nazi-obsessed fanatics amassed a cache of swords, crossbows and a 3D-printed semi-automatic firearm in preparation for an attack on a mosque or a synagogue. Right-wing extremists Christopher Ringrose, 34, Marco Pitzettu, 25, and Brogan Stewart, 25, were found guilty of terrorism offences at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday. The men, who were part of a militant online group, claimed they were merely fantasists who never intended to carry out an attack. However, the jury rejected their claims, and anti-terrorism detectives believe that if they had not been arrested they would have carried out a mass casualty attack. A nine-week-long trial heard how the group, which had been infiltrated by undercover officers, idolised Hitler and the Nazis, shared racist slurs and glorified mass murderers. Ringrose had also 3D-printed most of the components of a semi-automatic firearm at the time of his arrest and was trying to get the remaining parts. Jurors were shown a video of a police firearms expert, who for an unknown reason has his face blurred and magnified, testing a completed version of the weapon to show it would have been viable. Opening the trial in March, Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, said: 'The prosecution say that these three defendants were Right-wing extremists who regarded themselves as National Socialists, or Nazis, and they supported the National Socialist movement in the UK, such as it is or indeed was.' He said the defendants followed a cause that embraced an admiration for Hitler, white supremacy, a 'hatred towards black and other non-white races', and glorification and admiration for mass killers who have targeted the black and Muslim community. The prosecutor told the jury that the defendants formed a group called Einsatz 14 in January 2024, with 'like-minded extremists' who wanted to 'go to war for their chosen cause'. He told the jury of seven men and five women that the men all held a 'belief that there must soon be a race war between the white and other races'. Mr Sandiford said an undercover officer called Blackheart was also part of Einsatz 14 and was referred to as the 'Obergruppenführer'. Stewart developed a mission statement for the group that said its 'basic duties' were to 'target mosques, Islamic education centres and other similar locations'. The court heard the group discussed potential targets at the end of January 2024. The court heard Stewart sent Blackheart details of the Islamic education centre on Mexborough Road in Leeds, including a Google Maps image. Det Ch Supt James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said the men had collected more than 200 weapons, including knives, swords, body armour and a stun gun. But he said that 'most concerning' was the fact they tried to acquire a gun and this led them to build a 3D-printed firearm. The officer said: 'We saw this building of a firearm, and we saw them then changing their conversation and an up-tick in their hatred and looking to identify a real-world target, which could have been talk of a synagogue, an Islamic institution, a mosque, education... 'When we saw that up-tick changing, and they were looking to come out into the real world, that's when we took the action to arrest them.' Mr Dunkerley said: 'That was a tipping point for us. The protection of the public was absolutely paramount, and this wasn't some fantasy.' He added: 'If they took that 3D-printed firearm onto the streets and discharged it, it would kill somebody.' Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'These extremists were plotting violent acts of terrorism against synagogues, mosques and an Islamic education centre. By their own admission, they were inspired by SS tactics and supremacist ideology. 'Had Christopher Ringrose managed to completely finish building the 3D-printed semi-automatic firearm that he had started, it could have been used leading to devastating consequences.' Ringrose, of Cannock, Staffordshire; Pitzettu, of Mickleover, Derbyshire; and Stewart, of Tingley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, were all found guilty of a charge of preparing acts of terrorism and charges of collecting information likely to be useful to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism. Ringrose was also convicted of manufacturing a prohibited weapon, while Pitzettu pleaded guilty to obtaining an illegal stun gun at a previous hearing. The defendants will be sentenced on July 17.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Germany arrests self-declared 'king' and bans his extremist group
He has previously been jailed for repeatedly driving without a licence, following a decision to hand his back in a symbolic rejection of the law. At the end of one trial session, Fitzek was seen getting into his car in front of the court and driving off. Fitzek is one of around 25,000 Reichsbürger in Germany. Numbers have been growing over the last few years. Many are right-wing extremists who peddle racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories. They refuse to recognise the authority of security forces and many possess illegal arms, which has led to shoot-outs with police. Officials say that around 2,500 are potentially violent and that 1,350 are classed as right-wing extremists. In 2022 dozens of people were arrested, many of them Reichsbürger, for plotting to overthrow the German government in Berlin. They were accused of planning a violent coup, which included kidnapping the health minister, to create "civil war conditions" to bring down German democracy. In the past, Reichsbürger were often dismissed as eccentric cranks because of their outlandish ideas. But as the far right has grown in strength politically in Germany over the last decade, officials now see them as a serious threat. The federal prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe said Fitzek was arrested along with three other suspected ringleaders of the group, which it classified as a criminal organisation. As the "so-called supreme sovereign", Fitzek had "control and decision-making power in all key areas", the office said. "The 'Kingdom of Germany' considers itself a sovereign state within the meaning of international law and strives to extend its claimed 'national territory' to the borders of the German Empire of 1871," it added in a statement.
