Alleged German left-wing extremist leader remanded in custody

An alleged leader of a violent left-wing extremist group in Germany has been taken into pre-trial detention following his arrest.

The detention order was executed by an investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in the south-western city Karlsruhe, a spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday.

The authority accuses the man, identified as Johann G under German privacy laws, of membership in a left-wing extremist organization.

Johann G is reported to have belonged to the Leipzig group led by student Lina E and to have held “a prominent position” alongside her within the organization, the prosecutor’s office said.

“The organization, which is also networked across regions, carried out violent attacks in 2019 and 2020 against individuals whom they considered part of the ‘right-wing scene,'” the statement said.

Numerous people were injured, it said. The members are said to have usually prepared the actions intensively, including spying on the habits of selected victims in advance.

Their militant left-wing extremist ideology reportedly included the rejection of the existing democratic constitutional state, the fundamental right to free speech and the state’s monopoly on the use of force.

Furthermore, it is alleged that Johann G attacked individuals in the Hungarian capital Budapest in February 2023 with accomplices, targeting people perceived by the attackers to belong to the right-wing scene. Several individuals were injured in the incidents, according to the statements.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office accuses the man of participating in a criminal organization on several counts. In addition, he is charged with grievous bodily harm in association with others, breach of the peace and property damage.