- Raids on the Reichsbürger milieu took place in Germany this morning.
- In Switzerland, too, separate criminal proceedings have been opened against two suspects. This was confirmed by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (BA) at the request of SRF.
- House searches and interrogations were carried out as part of these proceedings.
- The criminal proceedings are carried out on suspicion of supporting or participating in a criminal or terrorist organization (Art. 260ter Penal Code).
The BA had also received several requests for legal assistance in the context of Reich citizens, which would also be implemented, said a spokeswoman.
The presumption of innocence applies to the suspects.
Injured police officer in raids in Germany
In Germany, an officer of a special task force was slightly injured by a gunshot during a search on behalf of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. According to dpa information, the officer is in a stable condition and the perpetrator was arrested.
The action in Reutlingen (Baden-Württemberg) was related to investigations into the “Reichsbürger” milieu. A spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor confirmed the arrest and that a shot was fired. The person is being investigated for attempted homicide. There were no other arrests. She has not yet been able to provide any information on possible injuries, nor on the background and scope of the searches.
The shooter is said to have entrenched himself and defended himself when the emergency services arrived. A reporter from the German Press Agency at the scene in Reutlingen reported that there were five loud bangs in a house in the morning. A police spokesman on site confirmed a connection with the investigation, but gave no details. According to dpa information, the police blew up a locked door.
The broadcasters WDR and NDR and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ) report that searches were carried out on 19 people in seven German federal states and in Switzerland. According to “Spiegel”, 22 objects are searched throughout Germany.
Raids last December saw 25 arrests
At the beginning of December there was a large-scale anti-terrorist raid against “Reich citizens” in Germany, Austria and Italy. At that time, 25 men and women were arrested. In this process, the German federal prosecutor also investigated 30 other people. It had always been said that it could not be ruled out that more suspects would be added over time.
“Reich citizens” are people who do not recognize the Federal Republic and its democratic structures. They claim the German Empire (1871-1945) would continue, hence their name. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution (domestic secret service) attributed around 23,000 people to the scene of “Reichsbürger” and “Selbstverwalter” in Germany in 2022, 2,000 more than in the previous year.