Nine suspects, including former soldiers, judges, and a member of parliament for the far-right Alternative for Germany, are set to go on trial in Stuttgart for their alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the German government. The accused are believed to be part of the “military arm” of the German Reichsbuerger, a group known for promoting conspiracy-based theories regarding sovereignty.
The charges against the defendants include high treason, with one individual facing an additional charge of attempted murder for firing shots at police officers during a search of Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss’s residence in March of last year. A total of 27 defendants are accused of planning a violent coup, accepting the likelihood of casualties, and aiming to install Reuss as the leader of a new government.
The trial will be split among three courts in different cities, with the Stuttgart proceedings focusing on the group’s military wing. Prosecutors argue that the suspects’ meticulous planning, possession of firearms, and stockpiles of cash demonstrate the real danger they posed. Their intention was allegedly to infiltrate an armed group into the parliament building in Berlin, detain legislators, and bring down the existing system, fully aware that their actions would involve taking lives.
The accused, aged between 42 and 60, are said to have joined the association in 2022 and have been actively involved in various roles within the military wing. Prosecutors claim that the alleged plotters, influenced by conspiracy myths from the global QAnon movement and the German Reichsbuerger scene, harbored a deep-seated hatred for democracy.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her determination to dismantle militant Reichsbuerger structures, emphasizing their threat to German democracy. The trial will shed light on the group’s activities and the extent of their plans to undermine the state.
