Right-wing extremism - "Knockout 51": Judiciary examines behavior of police officers
After the end of the "Knockout 51" process at the Jena Upper Regional Court, the far-right combat sports group in Thuringia continues to keep the justice system busy. The public prosecutor's office in Gera is still conducting investigative proceedings against five police officers, a spokesperson said. They are suspected of disclosing service secrets to members of this group.
Proceedings against another police officer discontinued
"Whether the accusation holds water or not cannot be answered at the moment," the spokesperson continued. The proceedings against another police officer for this accusation have been discontinued, "as the investigations revealed that he is innocent."
About "Knockout 51"
"Knockout 51" is a gathering of predominantly young right-wing extremists. They had tried to establish themselves as a law enforcement force in Eisenach since at least 2021 and create a "Nazi neighborhood."
The Upper Regional Court Jena classified the group as a criminal association in the result of a long court proceedings a few days ago. The three leading figures of the group received prison sentences of two years and two months, two years and six months, and three years and ten months. The fourth defendant received a juvenile sentence of two years and six months.
Appeal against the judgment of the ringleader
The Federal Prosecutor – who led the investigations against the four right-wing extremists – filed an appeal against the judgment. The representatives of the Federal Prosecutor had demanded significantly higher sentences for the men, primarily based on the assessment that "Knockout 51" was not a criminal but a terrorist organization. The court did not follow this assessment.
Policeman was negligent
In the meantime discontinued investigative proceedings of the public prosecutor's office Gera against a Thuringian policeman, no criminal behavior was found. However, the man had queried factual information about "Knockout 51" in the police's internal databases. According to the spokesperson of the public prosecutor's office Gera, it was established in the course of the investigations that this had only been done for professional reasons.
Due to work overload, the officer had not documented these professional reasons, the spokesperson continued. That he had apparently overlooked this was what had given rise to the suspicion that he had queried the information without professional reasons and had possibly passed it on to members of "Knockout 51." However, "no information was passed on to unauthorized persons," the spokesperson of the public prosecutor's office emphasized.
- The far-right martial arts group, known as "Knockout 51," has a history of extremism in Eisenach, Thuringia, attempting to establish a "Nazi neighborhood" since at least 2021.
- The public prosecutor's office in Gera is currently investigating five police officers for alleged disclosure of service secrets to members of this extreme right-wing group.
- Despite ongoing investigations into suspected disclosure of secrets, proceedings against another police officer in Thuringia were discontinued as the investigations revealed his innocence.
- The Upper Regional Court Jena recently classified "Knockout 51" as a criminal association, leading to prison sentences for the group's prominent figures, ranging from two years and two months to three years and ten months.
- The Federal Prosecutor has lodged an appeal against the jail sentences handed out to the ringleaders, arguing that "Knockout 51" is a terrorist organization rather than a criminal group.
