Five members of a far-right organization in Germany have been sentenced for their involvement in a plot to kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and overthrow the government, highlighting the growing threat of domestic terrorism.
**German Extremists Sentenced for Kidnap Plot Against Health Minister**
**German Extremists Sentenced for Kidnap Plot Against Health Minister**
Five far-right conspirators receive prison sentences for plotting to overthrow the government and kidnap a cabinet member amid rising political tensions.
The court in Koblenz handed down sentences ranging from two years and ten months to eight years for the group's ringleaders, emphasizing the gravity of their actions amid concerns about civil unrest.
The article text:
Five members of a German far-right group have been sentenced for their roles in a plot to undermine the government and kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. The court described four of the individuals as "ringleaders" of a "terrorist organisation," indicating their plan aimed at inciting a civil war-like atmosphere in the country. Lauterbach became a target due to his staunch support for stringent Covid-19 measures during the pandemic.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser remarked that the accused posed "an enormous threat" to national security. The court proceedings revealed that the group, which formed in January 2022, had plans that included a sabotage attack intended to incapacitate the power grid. This group comprised four men aged 46 to 58 and a 77-year-old woman, all hoping to recruit dissatisfied members of the security forces to their cause.
The Koblenz court sentenced the four main defendants to between five years and nine months and eight years in prison, while the fifth received a sentence of two years and ten months after nearly two years of trial. Their identities were not disclosed.
Associated with the "Citizens of the Reich," a group that believes the German Empire persists despite its collapse in 1918, the defendants are said to have been inspired by the QAnon conspiracy theory, which has roots in far-right circles in the U.S.
In the aftermath of the verdict, Lauterbach, affiliated with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), expressed gratitude towards law enforcement, asserting that the state had adequately defended itself against violent conspiracy theorists. Faeser reiterated that the violent intentions attributed to the accused indicated a significant risk and informed the public of ongoing measures taken to protect democracy amid rising threats from movements that challenge the legitimacy of the modern German state.
The article text:
Five members of a German far-right group have been sentenced for their roles in a plot to undermine the government and kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. The court described four of the individuals as "ringleaders" of a "terrorist organisation," indicating their plan aimed at inciting a civil war-like atmosphere in the country. Lauterbach became a target due to his staunch support for stringent Covid-19 measures during the pandemic.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser remarked that the accused posed "an enormous threat" to national security. The court proceedings revealed that the group, which formed in January 2022, had plans that included a sabotage attack intended to incapacitate the power grid. This group comprised four men aged 46 to 58 and a 77-year-old woman, all hoping to recruit dissatisfied members of the security forces to their cause.
The Koblenz court sentenced the four main defendants to between five years and nine months and eight years in prison, while the fifth received a sentence of two years and ten months after nearly two years of trial. Their identities were not disclosed.
Associated with the "Citizens of the Reich," a group that believes the German Empire persists despite its collapse in 1918, the defendants are said to have been inspired by the QAnon conspiracy theory, which has roots in far-right circles in the U.S.
In the aftermath of the verdict, Lauterbach, affiliated with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), expressed gratitude towards law enforcement, asserting that the state had adequately defended itself against violent conspiracy theorists. Faeser reiterated that the violent intentions attributed to the accused indicated a significant risk and informed the public of ongoing measures taken to protect democracy amid rising threats from movements that challenge the legitimacy of the modern German state.
