- Former German parliamentarian again denies accusations
Former AfD Bundestag member Birgit Malsack-Winkemann has once again rejected the charges against her in the Frankfurt terror trial involving Heinrich XIII. Prince Reuss. She claims she had no decision-making power and received only sparse information, stating this before the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court in reference to the alleged "Reichsbürger" group.
Malsack-Winkemann stated that the trial is attempting to construct a terrorist organization by grouping together people who may have only met a few times. "I am utterly shocked that something like this is even possible in Germany," said the 60-year-old.
The Federal Prosecutor (GBA) accuses her, among other things, of infiltrating other defendants into the Bundestag and scouting the buildings with them. Malsack-Winkemann is said to have been a member of the so-called council of the association and responsible for the justice department. The group allegedly planned an armed storming of the Bundestag to arrest members and cause a system collapse.
Meeting at the "upscale Italian restaurant"
The 60-year-old spoke in court about a first meeting with Reuss at a Frankfurt "upscale Italian restaurant" in December 2021, which was a casual introduction. According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, Reuss was recruiting personnel at the time.
Legal matters or a so-called council were not discussed, said Malsack-Winkemann. The astrologer Hildegard L., also charged in the Munich "Reichsbürger" case, was also present at the meeting and was the only point of contact for the group. However, Malsack-Winkemann only received "filtered and lapidary information" from her.
At a further meeting at the end of 2021, she met other co-defendants, including Rüdiger von Pescatore, who is said to have led the military arm of the movement. "That was no organization. At least, I wasn't aware of it," said the former AfD member. There were no formalities or protocols.
Reuss did not want a coup
Reuss did not want a violent coup, as charged by the prosecution, said Malsack-Winkemann. She had already denied the charges on Tuesday.
In Frankfurt, nine defendants are accused of being members of a terrorist organization or supporting it. In total, 26 alleged conspirators must answer for the complex in two parallel trials in Munich and Stuttgart. Until the verdict, the accused enjoy the presumption of innocence.
The Federal Parliament, where the group allegedly planned an armed storming to arrest members and cause a system collapse, is a significant institution mentioned in the case against Malsack-Winkemann. Despite being accused of scouting Bundestag buildings with other defendants, Malsack-Winkemann maintains that she had no knowledge of an organized attempt and that the group was not an organization, as she stated in the Frankfurt trial.
