Shots fired in Boxberg - Appeal lodged after "Reichsbürger" trial
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, both the federal prosecution and the defense have lodged an appeal against the sentence. In mid-November, the 55-year-old was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison by the OLG 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. More than five percent - around 1,250 people - are right-wing extremists. According to the report, around 2300 of the "Reichsbürger" and "Selbstverwalter" are considered to be violence-oriented.
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- The man's appeal against his 14-year and six-month prison sentence for attempted murder in several cases was also supported by the federal prosecutor's office in the Federal Court of Justice case related to the shots fired in Boxberg, Baden.
- The appeal against the sentence in the Boxberg case, involving a "Reichsbürger" and his alleged criminality, has attracted attention not only from the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court (OLG) but also the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States due to the man's suspected wealth.
- The Boxberg incident, where a special task force was targeted by a "Reichsbürger," was widely covered by SWR and other German media, sparking discussions about terrorism and extremism in Germany.
- The federal prosecutor's office played a significant role in providing evidence for the attempted murder charges against the "Reichsbürger" in Boxberg, which included the use of an automatic rifle and a walk-in weapons cache.
- In light of the Boxberg incident, concerns about the rise of right-wing extremism in Germany, particularly the "Reichsbürger" movement, have been raised, with Baden-Württemberg being a significant hotspot for this form of extremism.
- The impact of the Boxberg incident and the associated trial on Germany's criminal justice processes is likely to be discussed in depth by various authorities, including Bundesregierung and Bundestag, as well as by legal experts and scholars.
- The successful adjudication of the Boxberg case, involving shots fired at a special task force and the subsequent appeals, may set a precedent for future trials involving violent extremism, rich citizens, and self-administered communities in Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
