Alternaday politician Höcke faces trial anew for suspected usage of a Nazi phrase.
Thuringia AfD leader Björn Höcke has another court date approaching, as he's set to face charges over a suspected Nazi slogan usage. This time, the Halle District Court will see Höcke back on June 24th. The court announced this development earlier this week. In the first trial, Höcke received a fine of 13,000 euros for using the paramilitary Nazi Sturmabteilung's (SA) slogan, "Alles für Deutschland," which translates to "Everything for Germany."
The upcoming second trial will also focus on the alleged use of this slogan by Höcke, this time at an AfD event in Gera, Thuringia. Interestingly, the case concerning this incident was initially going to be heard during the first trial against Höcke, which concluded on May 14th. However, the indictment was later separated.
The indictment claims Höcke knowingly and purposely used the SA's "Alles für Deutschland" slogan during the Gera event, despite already being under investigation for using it at a campaign event in Merseburg. During the Gera event, Höcke reportedly said "Alles für" and then instructed his audience to yell "Deutschland."
Höcke, however, denies any criminal significance in his statements. During the initial trial at Halle District Court, he maintained he wasn't aware of the slogan's origins. After the verdict, his legal team appealed the decision, meaning the AfD leader's conviction is not yet legally binding.
Höcke is the leading candidate for the AfD in Thuringia's state election, scheduled for September 1st. The party, which is officially considered right-wing extremist by the Thuringian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, has consistently topped polls for months. Höcke's goal is to bring his party into the government and become prime minister, although no other party has shown any interest in forming a coalition with the AfD.
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- Bjoern Hocke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, has another court case to face in June, as he is accused of using the SA's Nazi slogan once more at an event in Gera.
- The Halle District Court will review the use of the "Alles für Deutschland" slogan by Hocke during the Gera event, which originally was set to be heard during his first trial in May.
- If convicted in the second trial, Hocke could face a similar fine as in his previous trial, which saw him being fined 13,000 euros for using the same slogan at an AfD campaign event.
- Regardless of the outcome of the second trial, Hocke remains the leading candidate for the AfD in Thuringia's state election scheduled for September, and the party continues to lead in polls despite being deemed right-wing extremist by the Thuringian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
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