The German Office of the Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) Wednesday arrested 25 suspected members and supporters of an unnamed terrorist organisation who allegedly planned to “overcome the existing state order in Germany” through violence and replace it with their own form of government. The Federal Court of Justice issued arrest warrants for 24 German nationals and one Russian national.
The terrorist association began forming a military transitional government, and one of the accused was in contact with representatives of the Russian Federation in Germany. However, investigators have found no proof that the contacted persons “reacted positively” to any requests for collaboration. According to the Generalbundesanwalt:
The members of the group follow a conglomerate of conspiracy myths consisting of narratives of the so-called Reichsbürger and QAnon ideologies. They are firmly convinced that Germany is currently governed by members of a so-called “deep state.”
An additional 27 suspects are suspected of supporting the terrorist group and will be investigated. Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser said Germany intends to take continuous action against terrorist actions “with all the consistency of the rule of law.”
The suspects will face the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice; the judge will decide on the execution of pre-trial detention. There will be further investigations to determine whether the criminal offense of preparing a highly treasonable act against the government has been committed under Section 83 Subsection 1 of the Criminal Code.