In one of the largest police investigations in the area of the extreme right in Germany25 men and women, members of it, were arrested earlier today terrorist organization “Citizens of the Reich” (Reichsbürger)which had as its ultimate goal the overthrow of the government by force and planned, among other things, an armed invasion of the federal parliament and political arrests.
According to the Federal Prosecution Service and the Crime Branch, more than 3,000 people took part in the operation, while searches were carried out in Berlin, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony, Hesse and Thuringia, in 130 residences, offices and warehouses, including the camps of the Special Forces Command (KSK) in Baden-Württemberg. Investigations are still expanding to Kitzbühel, Austria and Perugia, Italy and they are targeting at least 52 people, including Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss, 71, and former parachute unit commander Rüdiger von P., 69, who have already been arrested.
As noted by the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, Birgit Malzak-Vinkeman also participated in the organization. former Federal Member of Parliament of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and current judge in Berlin, who is also a sports shooter and owns “many firearms”. Among those arrested and suspected are a lawyer, a doctor, ex-soldiers and an active KSK soldier. A special role in the radicalization of the organization seems to have been played by conspiracy organization QAnon, which motivated in January 2021 the mob to invade the Capitolin the USA.
According to the data so far, the organization was already planning an armed attack in November 2021 Bundestag and arrests of politicians, with the aim of causing widespread unrest in the country and ultimately the “overthrow” of the democratic polity. As stated in the conclusion of the Prosecutor’s Office, the members of the organization are associated with “deep rejection of state institutions and democracy in Germany, which is why they planned violent change of the system. They know that there may be dead people, but they accept this scenario as an intermediate step to achieve their goals.” The authorities, however, have yet to clarify whether the “Reich Citizens” were actually preparing an “extremely treasonous act”, the conclusion points out. The group, however, is believed to have been trying to create a “shadow” militia-like army in various parts of the country in order to advance its plan. A major operation to collect weapons and military equipment was also underway, while shooting exercises were being conducted for the members. Security authorities also speak of an “unusually large” amount of money the organization had in its possession.
The new government was to be headed by Prince Henry XIII, who would seek to negotiate with Russia. He had already contacted the Russian authorities through his partner, Vitalia B., 39, but there is no evidence so far that the Russian side had responded.
The “military arm” of the “Citizens of the Reich” was organized around Rüdiger von P., who tried to recruit, among others, policemen and soldiers.
The 25 arrested will be brought before the investigator at the Federal Court in Karlsruhe today and tomorrow, Thursday.
Interior Minister: The organization “is driven by violent fantasies of revolution and conspiracy ideology
“We will continue this tough approach,” he said Secretary of the Interior Nancy Feser (SPD), referring to the police operation which resulted in the arrest of 25 leading figures of the terrorist organization “Reichsbürger” and spoke of an “abyss of terrorist threat”.
The organization is “driven by violent fantasies of revolution and conspiracy ideology. The fighters of the “Citizens of the Reich” share a hatred for democracy, for our state and for the people who defend our society” said Fezer and emphasized, according to APE-MBE, that “we will continue the hard approach” and only further investigation will show how far the coup plans had already progressed. “Our rule of law is strong. We know how to defend ourselves with all rigor against the enemies of democracy”, concluded the minister and thanked those who participated in the operation.
THE Minister of Justice Marco Busman (FDP) described today’s police raids as an “anti-terrorist operation”, while FDP Parliamentary Group leader Constantin Koule called for particularly tough measures against extremists from the public sector. “Anyone who rejects or wants to abolish the state order cannot be a public servant. The civil service law must be made more stringent,” Kule said, referring to reports that a former Alternative for Germany (AfD) lawmaker, who is now a judge, and a serving military officer are among those arrested.
“Our democracy was, is and will remain defensive” said the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Parliamentary Group Katja Mast and added that “there are forces working every day to undermine our democracy, but the rule of law can be defended”.
The representative of the Greens, Constantin von Notch, with his post on Twitter, drew the parallel with the unconstitutional trends that have appeared in the USA. “To stop the plans to seize power we must crush the network of the enemies of our democracy. It is important to remain vigilant,” von Notch wrote.
Left-wing MP Bird Rixinger also called for the disbandment of the armed forces’ elite SKS unit, whose officers are understood to have maintained a leadership role in the disbanded organisation. “The terrorist network’s plans sounded like a fantasy novel at first. But from today it is a bitter reality,” he said.
Source: News Beast
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