Upcoming Lauterbach Kidnapping Trial: Additional Accused Facing Justice in Frankfurt
The group is supposedly accused of intending to overthrow Germany's liberal democratic system and establish an authoritative regime in its place. Based on the charges, they reportedly planned a sequential operation involving strategic bombings on the power grid to induce a prolonged blackout spanning weeks.
The primary objective was to isolate the population from media broadcasts. Furthermore, a nationwide blackout was expected to hinder the response of law enforcement agencies to the coup attempt.
The group is also alleged to have intended to kidnap Lauterbach, even if it meant sacrificing bodyguards.
Five key suspects have been on trial in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, since May. P., currently facing trial in Frankfurt, is claimed to have joined the group in December 2021 and attended meetings. He is also said to have played a significant part in refining the operation's details, according to the charges.
P. is alleged to have consented to participate in the proposed kidnapping of Lauterbach. He also permitted a group leader to utilize his garage in the Bergstraße district as a temporary weapons storage facility during the preparations for the coup.
However, the operation never materialized as the group leader was apprehended instantly after receiving the weapons. Eventually, P. agreed to go to Russia following the planned coup as part of a delegation aboard a ship crossing the Baltic Sea to pursue a "reconciliation" with Russian administrative authorities, according to the charges.
P. has been in detention since October. The Regional Court initially scheduled twelve trial dates extending until early November.
The accused group, as stated, was supposedly planning to overthrow Germany's democratic system and establish an authoritative regime. Amidst the charges, it was alleged that one of the accused, P., consented to participate in the kidnapping of Lauterbach.
