Alleged Terror Cells Members Stand Trial in Germany

Germany’s National Unity Day, Wikimedia Commons.

An alleged neo-Nazi terror cell is standing trial in Dresden, Germany, after being arrested on September 30. Allegedly responsible for planning an attack in Berlin on October 3, 2018, those arrested are said to be part of the Revolution Chemnitz group. This news comes in the wake of increasing concern over Germany’s growing far-right population. 

Eight members, all between the ages of 21 and 32, are being charged for what federal prosecutors refer to as “forming a right-wing terrorist organization.” They wanted to accomplish “serious violent acts,” including “armed assaults” against immigrants, reporters, and members of the establishment, according to a spokesperson for the regional court. 

Allegedly, they also ran a “test run” for their planned October 3 attack, where some of the suspects, “armed with glass bottles, weighted knuckle gloves, and an electroshock appliance, attacked and hurt several foreign residents” in Chemnitz, according to prosecutors. The group wanted to “achieve more than the National Socialist Underground,” a Neo-Nazi group responsible for the murder of ten people in 2011.

The majority of the men were arrested on October 1. Authorities intercepted their messages in a chatroom, in which they allegedly planned to obtain firearms for an attack on October 3, Germany’s National Unity Day. Set to take place in Dresden with about 75 witnesses and lasting until around April, the trial will hopefully uncover Revolution Chemnitz’s past and future plans. 

Located in Saxony, Dresden, sits right in the middle of Germany’s alt-right concentration. German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany’s borders to admit over one million refugees in 2015 alone, but many people in the region resent this move, viewing it as Islamization of Germany, especially given the high percentage of refugees coming from Middle Eastern countries. Thus, a surge of membership and support for the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has ensued. The combination of these events heavily contributed to the formation of Neo-Nazi groups, including the group on trial today.