Radicalism - A witness speaks in the Frankfurt "Citizens of the Reich" trial.
On Tuesday, the trial against the controversial "Reichsbürger" group, led by Prince Reuß Heinrich XIII, continued at the Frankfurt Appeal Court with more witness testimonies. A police commissioner from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) talked about the connections of one of the defendants, Rüdiger von Pescatore, who stands accused of being in charge of the military wing of the group.
During a 2022 house search at one of Pescatore's daughters' homes, the commissioner found ammunition packages, knives, and German military equipment. The former Bundeswehr soldier had served in a parachute battalion until 1996. The investigator also mentioned potential links of the defendant to one or two consulting firms in Brazil, where he used to reside.
The focus of the investigation has been mainly on the defendant's personal relationships. The police commissioner couldn't disclose any specific findings from the investigation.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office alleges that the group possessed an enormous arsenal of weapons, including around 380 firearms, approximately 350 edged weapons, and nearly 500 other weapon and ammunition components, as well as over 148,000 ammunition parts. According to the prosecutor's office, the group also recruited military personnel.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses nine individuals, including Heinrich XIII, of being part of a terrorist organization or aiding it in Frankfurt. Von Pescatore is alleged to have been the second-in-command of the group's military division. Additionally, there are two separate cases in Munich and Stuttgart involving a total of 26 people, charged with being involved in the plot to overthrow the government.
On Tuesday, law enforcement conducted a massive operation targeting suspected members of the alleged terrorist organization at four sites in Lower Saxony and one in Saxony-Anhalt. Two women and two men are charged with being members of a terrorist organization, while two other individuals are accused of supporting such a group. One man is charged with recruiting and assisting group members.
