German Government Bans 'Kingdom of Germany', Arrests Key Figures in Reichsbürger Movement
Interior Minister Dobrindt announces nationwide raids as part of a crackdown on the extremist group led by self-proclaimed 'King' Peter Fitzek.
Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, has officially banned the Reichsbürger group known as 'Kingdom of Germany'.
Early morning operations took place nationwide, targeting properties associated with the organization and the residences of its leading members.
This action is described as the most significant crackdown on the Reichsbürger movement to date.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the activities of the 'Kingdom of Germany' contravene criminal laws and threaten the constitutional order.
Dobrindt stated that the group has created a 'counter-state' within Germany and established economically criminal structures that undermine the rule of law and the government's monopoly on violence.
He added that the supposed sovereignty of the group is underpinned by anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers executed searches in several federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.
The purpose of these raids was to seize organizational assets and gather further evidence related to the group's anti-constitutional goals and activities.
The ban also affects numerous sub-organizations linked to the 'Kingdom of Germany', marking an outcome of extensive cooperation between the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, other federal authorities, and state governments.
Prior to the ban, extensive investigations and collaborative assessments were conducted by the involved security and law enforcement agencies.
Among those arrested during the coordinated raids was Peter Fitzek, the self-proclaimed 'King' of the organization.
Fitzek, along with three other alleged ringleaders, was apprehended in Rhineland-Palatinate and Brandenburg.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office reported that Fitzek, who claimed to possess 'control and decision-making power in all essential areas', will be presented before an investigative judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe to unveil their arrest warrants.
The 'Kingdom of Germany' was proclaimed by Fitzek in 2012, and over the years, he amassed several thousand followers.
His organization operated its own bank and insurance service, leading to numerous legal proceedings against him.
Early morning operations took place nationwide, targeting properties associated with the organization and the residences of its leading members.
This action is described as the most significant crackdown on the Reichsbürger movement to date.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the activities of the 'Kingdom of Germany' contravene criminal laws and threaten the constitutional order.
Dobrindt stated that the group has created a 'counter-state' within Germany and established economically criminal structures that undermine the rule of law and the government's monopoly on violence.
He added that the supposed sovereignty of the group is underpinned by anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers executed searches in several federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.
The purpose of these raids was to seize organizational assets and gather further evidence related to the group's anti-constitutional goals and activities.
The ban also affects numerous sub-organizations linked to the 'Kingdom of Germany', marking an outcome of extensive cooperation between the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, other federal authorities, and state governments.
Prior to the ban, extensive investigations and collaborative assessments were conducted by the involved security and law enforcement agencies.
Among those arrested during the coordinated raids was Peter Fitzek, the self-proclaimed 'King' of the organization.
Fitzek, along with three other alleged ringleaders, was apprehended in Rhineland-Palatinate and Brandenburg.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office reported that Fitzek, who claimed to possess 'control and decision-making power in all essential areas', will be presented before an investigative judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe to unveil their arrest warrants.
The 'Kingdom of Germany' was proclaimed by Fitzek in 2012, and over the years, he amassed several thousand followers.
His organization operated its own bank and insurance service, leading to numerous legal proceedings against him.
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