Extremism - Custodial sentence in the Hamburg trial about overthrow plans
He supported so-called Reichsbürger in their Coup Plans: For this, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg sentenced a 67-year-old man from the area of Bad Bramstedt in Schleswig-Holstein to a prison term of two years' probation.
The Senate for State Protection in Hamburg considered it proven that the defendant supported a terrorist organization and helped in the planning of a high-treasonous undertaking. In addition, he committed weapons law violations.
According to the court, the man had joined the so-called Kaiserreichsgruppe in early 2022. This grouping aimed to establish an authoritarian government system in Germany modeled after the Constitution of the German Empire of 1871. This was no harmless group of spinners, but a dangerous association, said the presiding judge.
Before the Coup, the group intended, according to the Hamburg Public Prosecutor's Office, to cause a long-lasting and nationwide power outage in Germany. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) was supposed to be abducted by armed men during a live broadcasted talk show.
Obscure statements in the trial
The defendant also made abstruse statements regarding Russian support, said the presiding judge. What he said in the trial was so obscure that one could only shake one's head.
"They took on organizational tasks for the group", said the presiding judge to the defendant. He was also involved in the discussion of weapons acquisition. According to the court's conviction, the robust 67-year-old was not a main perpetrator. Currently, there are ongoing proceedings against so-called Reichsbürger in Germany.
The prosecution had requested a prison sentence of two years and ten months in the Hamburg trial, while the defense pleaded for no more than two years. The judgment is not yet legally binding.
Admitting accusations at trial start
At the beginning of the trial in late May, the man admitted the accusations. The defendant stated that he had always been very interested in German history and had come into contact with like-minded individuals during the Corona measures. They communicated in Chat groups on Telegram. "That's how we got involved in this scene", he said. Since February 22, 2022, he had known about the coup plans.
His statement that he had distanced himself from the plans in the further course did not convince the court. His call attempts to the Constitutional Protection, where he claimed he wanted to warn the authorities, were considered half-hearted by the presiding judge. "You could have reported to a police station at any time", she emphasized.
- The Appellate Court in Germany will review the case of the 67-year-old man from Bad Bramstedt, as the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg's judgments are subject to appeal.
- The Upheaval Plan, involving a group aiming to establish an authoritarian government in Germany, has caused a significant revolution in the country's political landscape.
- The defendant's penalty for his involvement in the coup plans includes a probation sentence and a penalty for freedom, which prohibits him from certain activities.
- Extremist groups, like the one the defendant was associated with, pose a threat to Germany's democracy and adhere to ideologies that are contrary to the country's values.
- The trial in Hamburg highlighted the danger of online communities, as the defendant met like-minded individuals in Chat groups on Telegram.
- The sentence handed down by the court is a reminder that actions against the Constitution, such as the Coup Plan, will result in severe penalities, even for those who only provide support.
