Right-wing extremist suspected case: AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is under observation

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Right-wing extremist suspected case
AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is under observation

The constitution protection classifies the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt as a right-wing extremist suspected case. The almost 1400 party members can therefore now be monitored by the secret service. The regional association itself reacts indignantly and threatens to take legal action.

According to a media report, the entire AfD regional association in Saxony-Anhalt has been put under surveillance by the protection of the constitution. According to research by the "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung" (MZ), the almost 1400 members can now be monitored using intelligence means. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Saxony-Anhalt sees, after years of collecting material, enough evidence that the AfD is a suspected right-wing extremist case.

According to MZ, the new status has been in effect since January 12th. The protection of the constitution informed the members of the parliamentary control body of the state parliament on Monday in a secret meeting. According to MZ information, the constitution protection of the Landes-AfD certifies, among other things, attacks on human dignity, the rejection of rule of law principles and hostility to democracy.

Saxony-Anhalt's AfD parliamentary group leader Oliver Kirchner accused the state government of abusing the protection of the constitution to weaken the AfD. "The protection of the constitution has long since become a pure protection of the establishment," Kirchner told the MZ. The observation is unfounded, the AfD is keeping a lawsuit open. "I don't know anyone here who wants to found a criminal organization and overthrow the system," said Kirchner.

The AfD is the largest opposition party in Saxony-Anhalt. She won a good 24 percent of the vote in the state elections in 2016. Just last week, several media reported that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) could make a decision on the Federal AfD this week. Accordingly, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution wanted to classify the entire party as a suspected case, which would also enable observation with intelligence means. The Federal Office had classified the AfD in 2019 as a test case.