Law enforcement authorities in Germany detained 25 alleged members and supporters of a far-right terrorist group named Reich Citizens movement that was suspected of planning to overthrow the German state. The action came during raids in 11 of Germany’s 16 states on Wednesday, the federal prosecutor’s office was quoted as saying in a Reuters report.
Two of the 25 arrests were made abroad, in Austria and Italy, AFP reported.
Among those being investigated are one active soldier and several reservists, a spokesman for the military intelligence service told the news agency. The soldier is said to be a member of the Special Forces Command.
A Berlin judge and former lawmaker from the far-right Alternative For Germany (AfD) and with a former member of a German royal family were also among those detained, the report said.
Quoting the prosecutor’s office, the report said individual members of the group allegedly had a plan in place to storm the Bundestag, lower house of parliament in Berlin.
The movement had “made concrete preparations to violently force their way into the German parliament with a small armed group”, the prosecutor’s office said.
The movement includes neo-Nazis, conspiracy theorists and gun enthusiasts who reject the legitimacy of the present German republic.
The prosecutors’ office said the plot envisaged a former member of a German royal family, identified as Heinrich XIII PR, as the leader in a future state while another suspect, Ruediger vP, would head the military arm.
It said Heinrich, who uses the title “prince” and comes from the royal House of Reuss, which had ruled over parts of eastern Germany, had reached out to representatives of Russia for establishing its new order, Reuters reported.
However, Russia’s embassy in Germany was quoted by RIA news agency as saying they do not maintain contacts with representatives of terrorist groups and other illegal groups.
Reacting to the incident, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the government would respond with the full force of the law.
“The investigations provide a glimpse into the abyss of a terrorist threat from the Reichsbuerger milieu,” said Faeser in a statement. Faeser said Germany knew how to defend itself against “the enemies of democracy”.
(With inputs from agencies)