An local AfD councilmember is alleged to have threatened Habeck with gunfire
An AfD Local Councilor in Brandenburg May Have Planned an Assault on Economy Minister Habeck. A Report by the "Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung" Suggests This.
The Potsdam Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating a local councilor of the Brandenburg AfD, who is suspected of threatening to attack Federal Economy Minister Robert Habeck. A spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed a corresponding report by the "Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung" (MAZ). The investigation into the preparation of a serious state-threatening violent crime is said to have already begun in April 2023. Specifically, the man is reported to have threatened to shoot Habeck.
The Public Prosecutor's Office made no further comments on the investigation and the report. The spokesperson also refused to explain what triggered the investigation more than a year ago.
According to the MAZ report, the investigations are based on findings from the Brandenburg Constitutional Protection. This agency is said to have discovered the threats in the context of the "Compact" magazine, which was banned in Brandenburg's Falkensee.
Caretaker at the "Compact" Magazine?
The "Compact" magazine is classified as right-wing extremist by the Constitutional Protection and is no longer allowed to be published. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned the media company and the associated Conspect Film GmbH in mid-July. A week ago, the organization's premises and the homes of leading figures were searched. This included the home of the magazine's editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer in Falkensee.
Faeser justified the ban by stating that "Compact" is "a central mouthpiece for the right-wing extremist scene": "This magazine incites in an abhorrent way against Jews and Jews, against people with a migration background, and against our parliamentary democracy", said the Interior Minister.
According to the MAZ report, the man against whom the Potsdam Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating took on caretaker duties for the magazine. In a conversation with its editor-in-chief, the threat against Robert Habeck is said to have been made.
- The investigation into the alleged threat against Federal Economy Minister Robert Habeck by a Brandenburg AfD local councilor is being handled under the umbrella of Constitutional Protection, which discovered the threats during their monitoring of right-wing extremist activities, specifically within the banned "Compact" magazine.
- Despite the ongoing investigation, the Potsdam Public Prosecutor's Office has remained silent on the potential motivations behind the threat, choosing not to reveal what exactly triggered their inquiry more than a year ago.
- The alleged perpetrator, having assumed caretaker duties for the "Compact" magazine, reportedly made the threat against Habeck during a conversation with the magazine's editor-in-chief, Jürgen Elsässer.
- Justice Minister Robert Habeck has been a target of right-wing extremist attacks and threats, with the AfD being accused of condoning such actions in some instances, raising concerns about the role of such political parties in inciting violence and fostering divisive attitudes.
