Navy salutes, hugs and a sluggish begin: the trial of Henry XIII‘s “Reich Residents” was held in Frankfurt am Most important beneath huge safety precautions. Prince Reuss started.
The 9 defendants – together with former navy males, noblemen and a former member of the Bundestag – seem to have been intimidated. There are smiles, whispers, hugs with defenders and a navy salute to people who find themselves in all probability like-minded. What follows firstly: prolonged requests from the protection attorneys, court docket consultations and breaks.
The trial earlier than the Excessive Regional Court docket begins about three quarters of an hour late within the gentle metallic corridor on the outskirts of the town that was constructed particularly for the trial. A court docket spokesperson indicated to media representatives that some legal professionals nonetheless wished to talk with their purchasers, “it was less than us, the Excessive Regional Court docket.” The presiding decide, Jürgen Bonk, has about 20 legal professionals – a few of whom are lacking with out discover. A few of these current then submit many functions, most of that are rejected by the court docket after breaks within the dialogue. As a result of first the indictment must be learn out.
There are 617 pages, however just one indictment of 65 pages is offered at trial. The Federal Prosecutor’s Workplace defined his prices for greater than two hours. She accuses the 9 women and men of being members of or supporting a terrorist organisation. Prince Reuss acted as a pacesetter, the consultant of the Federal Prosecutor’s Workplace, Tobias Engelstetter, mentioned in his lecture.
The terrorist group was based on the finish of July 2021. It’s alleged that an armed group broke into the Reichstag constructing in Berlin and arrested members of the Bundestag and members of the federal authorities. The cost relies partially on planning an affordable enterprise. Violation of martial legislation can be among the many allegations in opposition to among the defendants.
The type of authorities itself has already been developed
Particularly, the indictment states that the group’s aim is to “forcibly abolish the prevailing state order in Germany and exchange it with its personal type of authorities that has already been basically developed.” The defendants have been linked to one another by means of conspiracy theories and narratives from “residents of the Reich”. Prince Reuss additionally contacted Russian representatives with the plans.
The Workplace of the Federal Prosecutor additionally gives insights into what the group believes such a state ought to appear to be. There must be a gentleman on the head, within the individual of the Prince of Reuss. Former AfD member of the Bundestag and former Berlin decide Birgit Malsack-Winkemann was nominated for the justice sector. Different departments have been already staffed.
Following the proposed takeover, the group desires the authorities to be restructured. In response to the indictment, for instance, officers who have been voluntarily vaccinated in opposition to the Corona must be baked with an mRNA vaccine.
Organized capturing coaching
The deliberate armed assault on the Reichstag constructing is repeatedly mentioned within the courtroom. To do that, Malsack-Winkemann led different members by means of the Bundestag properties and took photographs together with his smartphone. A capturing coaching session was additionally organized in preparation.
In response to the federal prosecutor’s workplace, the group had entry to an enormous arsenal of weapons, consisting of roughly 380 firearms, almost 350 reducing and stabbing weapons and almost 500 different weapons and no less than 148,000 items of ammunition. In addition they had round half 1,000,000 euros accessible for his or her destruction plans. In response to the Federal Prosecutor’s Workplace, navy personnel have been recruited a number of instances. Rüdiger von Pescatore is accused of being the pinnacle of the so-called navy hand and, in response to the indictment, second in command alongside Reuss.
The so-called Reichsbürger in Germany claims that the German Empire (1871-1945) continues to exist. Neither the Federal Republic nor its legal guidelines acknowledge them. Defendants are presumed harmless till a verdict is reached. Reuss’ legal professionals repeatedly defined to journalists on the sidelines of the trial that their consumer was not the chief of a terrorist group. He wished to mirror that within the proceedings as effectively. The protection legal professionals additionally criticize that the proceedings have been divided into three areas.
The protection legal professional for one of many accused ladies confirmed in his opening assertion in court docket late this afternoon that his consumer was not a “citizen of the Reich”. The protection legal professional criticized the 53-year-old for unfairly damaging him within the media. Not all of the defendants have the identical ideological background. In addition to the earlier federal authorities’s Crown coverage, the protection lawyer additionally criticized the court docket case, saying it was a propaganda device for state motion.
The trial is the second of three huge trials in opposition to the group: the trial in opposition to suspected representatives of the navy wing started in Stuttgart on the finish of April. The opposite suspected members of the group can be on trial in Munich from June 18. The conspiracy plans got here to gentle after a large-scale counter-terrorist raid in December 2022.
The figures for the trial in Frankfurt are spectacular: Along with the 9 defendants, there are 5 judges, two further judges and 25 protection legal professionals within the trial. There are round 260 witnesses to be referred to as. In response to the court docket, the paperwork associated to the trial are saved in 801 binders. The method is anticipated to take a very long time and dates have been set till subsequent 12 months.
In response to the court docket, the defendants resist ten years in jail if discovered responsible on one depend. Within the case of a number of responsible verdicts and a full sentence, the utmost sentence is 15 years imprisonment.