Prince Reuß intended to eliminate people "one at a time."

Trial: Prince Reuß intended to kill multiple individuals.

Starting today, registered leaders of the "Reich Citizens' Network" around Prince Reuß will face trial. Kicking off the trial, the 72-year-old real estate entrepreneur himself is the main focus. The indictment offers the initial glimpses into his purported schemes, laden with anti-democratic sentiments and fantasies of violence.

There's a certain irony in the fact that on Tuesday morning, in Frankfurt's industrial area, it resembles the time before a royal event: numerous police cars are parked outside the Higher Regional Court, officers in bulletproof vests line the grounds. Media representatives, student groups, and retirees are already waiting outside the closed gates at dawn, hoping to snag a seat in the courtroom. As the trial's start looms, a mixture of curiosity and interest permeates the stuffy air of the auditorium. "The prince's grand entrance," a student murmurs to the person next to them. Then the door to the hearing room opens.

An hour late, Prince Reuß entees the courtroom. It's almost eerily quiet - you can hear a pin drop. Journalists from around the world crane their necks or press their faces against the glass partition, hoping for their first look at the man believed to have orchestrated an attempted coup d'état.

It's been close to 1.5 years since images of Prince Reuß's arrest circulated worldwide. The aristocratic appearance the real estate entrepreneur once had has seemingly faded: his face is slimmer, his gray hair shorter, his glasses more modern. He's swapped his tweed jacket and corduroy pants for a plain black suit and white shirt.

The Focus

It takes mere seconds to realize there's no "grand entrance of the prince." Quite the contrary. The emaciated figure nearly blends in with the judicial officials escorting him to the dock. The one-time aristocratic scion of a former noble family scampers to his seat, barely glancing at the crowd. After fourteen months in custody, it's as if the 72-year-old is questioning why he's in this high-security courtroom in Frankfurt during these hours.

In this case, the answer is clear: Heinrich XIII Prince Reuß is the main player in one of Germany's largest state security proceedings in its history. A network of "Reich citizens" allegedly conspired with him. According to the Federal Public Prosecutor General's Office, Reuß and his followers were planning to take control during a designated "Day X." They aimed to storm the Reichstag, arrest parliament members, and consequently overthrow the system. Following this, they hoped to install an authoritarian regime which the Reuß groups had already detailed - with Prince Reuß at its head.

A colossal anti-terror raid in December 2022 dismantled the network. By the time it ended, 26 Reuß supporters faced charges. Owing to its size - reportedly, Frankfurt alone has 801 files - the mammoth proceedings were split between three higher regional courts. The first court to hear it was Stuttgart Higher Regional Court at the tail end of April, where the military arm of the group would be held accountable. From June, other members will be tried in Munich.

Tumult at the Beginning of the Trial

The trial set to start at Frankfurt Higher Regional Court is likely to be the most sensational: this is where the supposed leaders of the Reuß Group - the so-called Council - will be seated in the dock. The nine individuals, including Prince Reuß himself, Birgit Malsack-Winkemann (a former judge and AfD MP), and Rüdiger von Pescatore (a former military officer and paratrooper battalion commander), have been implicated.

The trial began with several delays. It wasn't until midday that the Federal Public Prosecutor General's Office commenced reading out the essence of the original 617-page indictment. Though the trials' fundamentals - the accusations against Reuß and his allies - are already known from the Stuttgart and media reports, Germany's chief public prosecutor's detailed presentation of the plans and fantasies of violence, sometimes down to the last detail, left the audience agape.

After the opening in Stuttgart and multiple media reports, the charges against Reuß and his cohorts are comprehensively understood. Nonetheless, the meticulous recitation of the indictment caused the crowd to gulp. The plans of the purported terror group date back to June 2021, and their aspiration was clear: seize the Reichstag - therefore, overthrow German democracy. What initially sounds unbelievable or, at the very least, catastrophically grandiose, was shockingly progressed in its preparation, per the indictment. The group had been actively recruiting military members and assembling an extensive arsenal of weapons: around 380 firearms, nearly 350 knives and blades, close to 500 other weapons, and well over 148,000 ammunition pieces. Militia training had been organized to prep these individuals designated for "Day X."

### The Secret "Purge" Plans

These plans were already drafted and prepared down to the tiniest detail. For example, drafts for "military passports" for a new Germany were discovered. There were also clothing lists wherein fighters could select their shoe size, and ultimately pre-prepared deployment bags. The group shared conspiracy beliefs of the "Reichsbürger" movement. They believed in a Deep State - an alleged, non-existent elite that operates from underground and controls all state actions. Lastly, "Day X" was set to commence with a signal from a mysterious alliance.

According to the indictment, the real action by the Reuss Group - referring to themselves as the Patriotic Union - began on this day. A total of 286 "homeland security companies" were meant to overturn Germany. This included, for instance, dismissing local government employees who volunteered to get the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. The indictment also refers to "purges" and the "elimination" of "counter-revolutionary forces from the left and Islamic communities."

These are illustrations of violent and inhumane actions the accused intended to carry out in order to establish their own regime - based on their own ideology. The suspects were reportedly driven by a deep rejection of established institutions and the democratic order.

"That's Enough Fun"

While the group was united by their resentment of the legal system, they needed a mastermind to bring the carefully devised plans to life. The Attorney General's Office believes Prince Reuss took on this role. The man who most bystanders would like to eject from the courtroom - is purportedly responsible for the anti-democratic and inhumane ideologies of the group.

He is said to have planned to gather troops at his hunting lodge in Thuringia. According to the indictment, he encouraged his followers to "load their Kalashnikov." In one recorded phone conversation, he threatened,"We're going to kill all of them now." In another conversation, he continued with, "Okay, then we'll kill them one by one."

Allegedly, Prince Reuss was responsible for these threats and incitements, plus the practical support. He is said to have made his hunting lodge accessible for meetings of the accused. Additionally, he is claimed to have approached Russian representatives with their plans for support from Moscow. He is reported to have provided the group with fourteen satellite telephones. Moreover, he presided over a strict hierarchy: group members pledged allegiance to the prince and committed to secrecy. If they broke their silently sworn oath, they could be executed by Prince Reuss's decision.

The Defense Wall

Though the Prince is surrounded by more than three soccer teams' worth of defenders, the three representatives of the federal prosecutor are up against the daunting task of maintaining a wall of legal innocence. The nine defendants have 25 lawyers to fight for them. They make use of this prevalence by adopting a strategy of confrontation rather than cooperation. Before the indictment was read out, they filed several motions - like not reading the indictment, recording the trial, and challenging the judge.

The indictment alleges that these nine individuals face charges of treason, terrorism, and weapons offenses. If they're found guilty on multiple counts, they could face up to 15 years of imprisonment. They are presumed innocent until the verdict, which is expected in the coming months at the earliest. However, the 25 lawyers have their work cut out for them in defending their client, who has been accused of being instrumental in orchestrating the violation of the legal order.

Despite their allegations of conspiracy, the defense denies the accusations, with lawyer Martin Schwab going so far as to assert, "This will be the greatest abuse of the German legal system" to Judge Bork. He receives no response from the judge. Schwab's comment suggests a fundamental rejection of the state. What's more surprising is that Schwab is part of the lateral thinking movement since the pandemic. His extensive defense team's selection by the alleged conspirator, Reuss, is also unsurprising.

The Trial Begins

The Prince and his supporters face grave charges of treason, terrorism, and weapons offenses. With their fates at stake, the presumption of innocence applies until the verdict. The trial is expected to continue throughout the year. What lies ahead is a complex and potentially contentious legal battle. With the defendant's reputed allegiance to a nefarious plan to topple the government and install a new regime, the stakes have never been higher for all parties involved.

Prince Reuss and his co-defendants stand accused of plotting a violent insurrection against the state, which could send them to prison for up to 15 years if found guilty. Their defense team aims to maintain the wall of the presumption of innocence, raise doubts, and challenge the court's procedural decisions. Initial statements made by the prince's defense lawyer, Martin Schwab, question the legal system's administration. Schwab's highly charged commentary has even been interpreted as a serious challenge to the German legal system.

It could be an uphill battle as the defendants have armed themselves with 25 lawyers on their side. For their part, the prosecutors have only three to counterbalance them. The prosecutors must bring hard-hitting evidence against the Crown Prince and constantly combat the wall of legal innocence the defense will construct. But, the real challenge might lie in swaying the public opinion in favor of the prosecution's efforts. The public's perception of the accused will play a crucial role in how this complex and provocative case unfolds.

Starting from now, a significant part of the work for the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court is set to begin. Still, an initial issue surfaced on the trial's first day: Prince Reuß, the disheartened defendant, and most of the other defendants who are above 50 years old, do not give the impression of being violent terrorists as most people would imagine. They appear to be just ordinary individuals in their blazers and jackets, having fun in spite of the seriousness of the situation. They seem like they're no danger to democracy.

But hang on, as there is a plethora of evidential proof against them - it includes phone recordings, stored plans, snaps, and verifiable links to other extreme dissent groups.

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Amidst the ongoing trial, concerns have arisen about the perceived lack of extremism among the main defendants, particularly Prince Reuß, who are appearing calm and ordinary in court despite facing charges related to right-wing extremism and alleged plans for a coup d'état.
As the trial progresses, it is becoming increasingly clear that the "Reichsbürger" network, led by Prince Reuß, had meticulously planned a series of extreme processes, including the purge of individuals and communities perceived as opposing their ideology, in order to establish their own authoritarian regime.

Source: www.ntv.de