The trial of alleged leaders of an extremist plot to overthrow the German government began, involving more than two dozen suspects, 260 witnesses, and is expected to continue until 2025. The main suspects include self-declared Prince Heinrich XIII, an aristocratic estate agent, and his Russian girlfriend, along with members of the Reichsbürger movement. The group planned to restore the German Empire and forcibly remove the existing state order, with Heinrich XIII as the new emperor. Other high-profile suspects include a judge and former lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany party, as well as former German military officers. Prosecutors claim the group planned to storm the Reichstag, arrest lawmakers, and show Chancellor Olaf Scholz chained up on German television in an attempt to gain public support for their coup. They also intended to negotiate a post-coup order with Russia.
The alleged plotters had around €500,000, an arsenal of 380 firearms, 350 stabbing weapons, bulletproof vests, and handcuffs. Prosecutors say they had lists of enemies to be used once they took over regional and local authorities, and group members were aware that their planned takeover of power would involve killing people. The heavily armed police arrested the group in December 2022, raiding houses, offices, and a remote hunting lodge after monitoring them for months. German officials have warned that far-right extremists pose a significant threat to the country’s security, as highlighted by the killing of a regional politician, an attempted attack on a synagogue, and incidents where far-right extremists tried to enter Berlin’s parliament. The rise of far-right extremism has also led to mass protests against their activities.
Twenty-six suspects are standing trial, with one having died before the trial began. The majority of the defendants are charged with belonging to a terrorist organization, while Prince Heinrich and another suspect, a former paratrooper, are alleged to have been the ringleaders of the group. A special temporary courthouse has been built to accommodate the large number of defendants, lawyers, and media involved in the case. The plotters also allegedly intended to negotiate a post-coup order with Russia, and prosecutors claim that Prince Heinrich XIII attempted to contact Russian officials in 2022 to secure Moscow’s support for their plans. It is unclear if Russia responded to these attempts at communication.
The alleged plot to violently topple the German government has shocked the country and has brought to light the increasing threat of far-right extremism in Germany. The group involved in the plot had amassed a significant amount of weapons and were prepared to use violence to achieve their goals. The case has garnered massive media and political interest, as it unfolds over a long period of time, with numerous suspects and witnesses involved. The trial of the extremist leaders sheds light on the dangerous potential of such groups in destabilizing democratic systems and highlights the need for vigilant security measures to combat the rise of far-right extremism in Germany.
