The AfD revokes Helferich's membership rights.
Matthias Helferich is considered a far-right figure within the AfD himself. The party leadership in North Rhine-Westphalia has been a thorn in the eye of the 35-year-old Dortmund native for a longer time. A disciplinary court has reportedly taken action against him according to a media report.
An AfD disciplinary court has upheld the expulsion of Bundestag member Matthias Helferich. This is reported by the "Stern" magazine. The party judges in Düsseldorf therefore passed a nine-page ruling in the proceedings against the 35-year-old Dortmund native to the NRW-AfD Landesvorstand.
In this ruling, the regional disciplinary court accuses Helferich, who is associated with the Hocke faction and has consistently received strong support from the AfD youth "Junge Alternative", of linking the Instagram slogan "Raus mit den Viecher" with the term "Remigration". This shows "an attitude of dehumanizing migrants, who are obviously equated with pigs".
The ruling gives more space to the two AfD judges' designation of "actual or indirect/subtle threats to party members". Helferich is accused of creating "threat scenarios", having repeatedly and deliberately placed "missteps or perceived missteps of other party members" and done so "to exert pressure". The court provides several examples.
Matthias Helferich himself has rejected the allegations in the ruling and referred to the prohibition of limiting intraparty opinion-making.
Despite his affiliation with the Hocke faction and significant support from the AfD youth "Junge Alternative", Matthias Helferich's politics in North Rhine-Westphalia have led to disagreements with the party leadership. Following controversy over his use of an Instagram slogan, a regional disciplinary court in Düsseldorf has reportedly taken action against the AfD member.
