German police have carried out searches in eight states as part of an investigation targeting “”.Reichsburger“, theCitizens of the Reich“An extremist movement that gained momentum with health restrictions linked to the coronavirus crisis. Around 280 law enforcement agents were deployed during the operation, German press agency DPA indicated on Thursday. The alleged conspirators are suspected of trying “to disrupt“Public Administration Communication.
According to the DPA, the 20 suspects are suspected of belonging to a criminal organization. The searches were carried out in the states of Bavaria (southeast), Baden-Württemberg (southwest), Hesse (centre), North Rhine-Westphalia (west), Schleswig-Holstein (north), Brandenburg (east) and Hamburg (north). ) and Lower Saxony (northwest).
“The suspects are accused of trying to block public authorities’ (…) communication channels through targeted and mass communication.“, the Munich public prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The ideology of the Reichsbürger disapproved of the German Federal Republic and advocated a return to empire while rejecting democracy. It also generally denies the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II.
According to estimates by the German intelligence services published at the end of 2022, the number of supporters of the movement increased by 2,000 members in one year, reaching a total of 23,000 followers. One in three members is considered violent.
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