Trial against “Saxon Separatists”: Court releases three suspected right-wing terrorists

The Dresden Higher Regional Court lifted the arrest warrants against three of eight suspected members of the “Saxon Separatists” on Thursday. The court will issue a further arrest warrant as soon as a “security deposit” has been deposited. Four other men remain in custody. The federal prosecutor's office had accused the men of being members of a terrorist organization and preparing to establish an "ethnically cleansed" Nazi state.

According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the eight defendants prepared a "treasonous operation" against the Federal Republic and carried out paramilitary exercises. The ethnic cleansing was supposed to affect areas in East Germany. Racism and anti-Semitism were driving forces for the total of around 20 members. Among other things, they took part in urban warfare training.

The court has now lifted the arrest warrants against Kevin R., Norman T. and Hans-Georg P. In the case of two of them, the suspicion is “no longer considered to be the full extent of the allegations,” according to a statement from the court on Thursday afternoon. In the case of the third defendant, “the continued detention was seen as disproportionate”.

Then there is the defendant who can be released in return for security: Kurt Hättasch. Before his imprisonment, he was the AfD faction leader in the Grimma city council and treasurer of the former party youth organization Junge Alternative in Saxony. He is still a city councilor. If he is released again, he will be allowed to take part in its meetings in Grimma again - despite being charged.

He could meet Kevin R. there again next week at the latest. Since a city councilor from the AfD faction in Grimma has announced that she will resign from her position this Thursday, the newly dismissed R. could step up. At the taz's request, the higher regional court rejected a connection; it is a coincidence.

The released Hans-Georg P. was also already active for the AfD; from 2021 to October 2022 he was a member of the Leipzig East District Advisory Board. He had previously taken part in neo-Nazi demonstrations. Norman T., who is one of the original members of the “Saxon Separatists”, was also there. According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, T. is said to have acted as an “adolescent”. The trial against the group will continue in Dresden on Friday.