"Reichsbürger" trial - Shots fired in Boxberg: appeal lodged
Following the shots fired by a suspected "Reichsbürger" at a special task force in Boxberg, Baden, the Federal Court of Justice will consider the long prison sentence handed down to the man. According to the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court (OLG) on Wednesday, the public prosecutor's office and the defense have lodged an appeal against the verdict. The 55-year-old was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison by the OLG in mid-November for attempted murder in several cases. SWR first reported on the appeal.
According to the court's conviction and his own statement, the man had shot at police officers with an automatic rifle in the municipality of Boxberg in the Main-Tauber district in April 2022. The officers wanted to search the man's house for a weapon for which he did not have a permit. During the operation, one of the officers was seriously injured by shots to the legs. In the house, the investigators found a walk-in weapons cache with rifles and submachine guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and accessories.
The federal prosecution had demanded a life sentence for attempted murder in several cases. The man's two lawyers had clearly objected to this. They argued that no murder criteria were met and therefore demanded an acquittal for their client. In his closing statement, he had asked for an apology for his behavior.
"Reich citizens" and so-called self-administrators do not recognize the Federal Republic of Germany as a state. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimates that the scene has around 23,000 followers - and the trend is rising.
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- The incident in Boxberg, Baden-Württemberg, involving a "Reichsbürger" who fired at a special task force, has prompted an appeal to the Federal Court of Justice in Germany.
- The public prosecutor's office and the defense in Stuttgart have lodged an appeal against the 14-year and six-month prison sentence handed down by the OLG for terrorism-related crimes.
- The 55-year-old man was convicted of attempting murder in several cases, after firing at police officers with an automatic rifle in April 2022, in the presence of a special task force in Boxberg.
- This incident led to the discovery of a significant weapons cache in the man's house in Boxberg's Main-Tauber district, containing rifles, submachine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
- Extremist organizations, such as the "Reichsbürger" movement, which reject the Federal Republic of Germany as a state and are estimated to have around 23,000 followers in Germany, have been a growing concern for authorities.
- The case, reported first by SWR, has reignited discussions about the challenges posed by extremism and criminality in Germany, and the need for effective strategies to address these issues.
Source: www.stern.de
