- Numerous rights and citizens with a permit to carry a gun
Many individuals classified as right-wing have been granted permission to possess firearms in Hessen**. In response to a parliamentary query by two Green Party members, the Hessian Ministry of the Interior reported that 45 individuals classified as right-wing extremists possessed firearms in the past year; 44 others held a small firearms permit, allowing them to carry pepper spray, signal, and starter pistols.
Among those known as Reichsbürger and self-administrators, 19 individuals had a weapons possession card as a prerequisite for owning firearms, while 10 "Reichsbürger" held a small firearms permit. Three individuals, classified as both right-wing extremists and "Reichsbürger", were listed: one as a firearm owner and two as holders of a small firearms permit.
In numerous cases, authorities revoked weapons permits: in 2023, 23 individuals classified as right-wing extremists and 18 as "Reichsbürger" and self-administrators had their permits withdrawn. Additionally, one person classified as both a right-wing extremist and a "Reichsbürger" had their permit revoked. One individual from the "Constitutional Protection Relevant Delegitimization" sector also had their permit revoked.
Several affected individuals filed appeals: by the end of 2023, there were 37 ongoing procedures, according to the Ministry of the Interior. Two individuals successfully challenged their loss of firearm ownership in court last year.
The Green Party members sought further information from the Hessian equivalent of the [Ministry of the Interior], expressing concern over the rising number of firearms in the hands of right-wing individuals. The revocation of weapons permits by the [Ministry of the Interior] was a significant step in addressing potential threats, as shown by the 23 right-wing extremists and 18 "Reichsbürger" and self-administrators whose permits were withdrawn in 2023.
