German court jails ‘militant far-left’ extremists for neo-Nazi attacks
- They were convicted for taking part in a ‘criminal organisation’ that carried out assaults against right-wing extremists between 2018 and 2020
- Defendant Lina E. and her partner Johann G. – who is still at large – are believed to be ringleaders of the group that shared a ‘militant far-left ideology’
A German court on Wednesday sentenced a left-wing extremist woman to more than five years in jail for attacking neo-Nazis and other alt-right radicals.
The principal defendant, identified only as Lina E., and three other suspects were convicted for taking part in a “criminal organisation” that carried out several assaults against right-wing extremists between 2018 and 2020.
In their closing argument, prosecutors had argued that there “is no good political violence” and had sought eight years in prison for Lina E.
The defence had urged the judge to acquit the accused, saying that the prosecution had based its case mainly on the statements of a key witness who was a former member of the group and who is currently in a witness protection programme.
Prosecutors said the group planned the attacks intensively, including by spying on their victims.
In one attack in October 2018, the group’s members kicked and beat a right-wing extremist in the eastern town of Wurzen, leaving him with serious injuries.
In October 2019, they carried out an assault on the owner and several customers of a restaurant popular with neo-Nazis in the central town of Eisenach.