A prominent member of the far-right “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) party appeared in court this Thursday (18), accused of using a banned Nazi paramilitary slogan.
Bjoern Hoecke, head of the AfD in the eastern state of Thuringia, is part of the nationalist wing of the AfD, officially designated by the national intelligence agency as “right-wing extremist”.
The case comes at a time when the AfD, which is second in national polls behind the opposition Conservatives, is under scrutiny over reports that some senior party figures have discussed deporting people of non-ethnic German origin.
Around 300 protesters gathered outside the court in the eastern city of Halle, holding signs reading: “Bjoern Hoecke is a Nazi” before he entered the packed courtroom with a faint smile, carrying files and wearing a dark suit.
After some delays due to tight security, his lawyers headed to court.
Prosecutors say Hoecke ended a campaign speech in the eastern city of Merseburg in May 2021 with the words “Everything for Germany!”
This phrase is banned in Germany because it was a slogan used by Nazi SA storm troopers.
His lawyers argue that he did not know the words were banned and Hoecke himself, a history professor, said last week in a televised debate that he had no knowledge of the origin of the phrase and claims this case is about freedom of expression.
He was also accused of using the term at a festive event in December in Gera when, prosecutors argue, he said: “All for…” before using gestures to encourage his audience to say the last word for him, aware that he would face prosecution for finishing the sentence himself.
In Germany, the use of slogans and symbols linked to anti-constitutional groups, including the Nazi party, is illegal.
If convicted, Hoecke could face a fine or prison sentence of up to three years and could also be barred from holding public office.
Hoecke is an influential figure in the AfD, which has moved to the right since it was founded as an anti-euro party in 2013.
He has repeatedly made headlines for his views, and a court has said he can be described as a fascist. He also faces a separate trial on suspicion of incitement to hatred.
In 2018, he called Berlin's Holocaust memorial a “monument of shame” and said Germans need to reverse the way they look at their past and adopt a more positive approach.
He was banned from entering the Buchenwald concentration camp in 2017 due to his revisionist views.
In the state of Thuringia, where AFD leads the polls with around 30%, the party could obtain the majority of votes in the elections on September 1st.
But so far no other party has been prepared to cooperate with him, so it is unclear how a coalition government could form.
Source: CNN Brasil
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