German and Polish authorities have arrested eight suspected members of a far-right extremist group accused of plotting to overthrow the state and establish a “national socialist” regime, Al Jazeera reports.
The arrests, part of a large-scale operation involving over 450 police and security officers, were carried out in Germany, Poland, and Austria.
The suspects, belonging to the “Saxonian Separatists” (Sachsische Separatisten), were apprehended following raids on 20 locations linked to the group. The group, founded in November 2020, is described as a “domestic terrorist organization” with an estimated 15-20 members. Their ideology, according to prosecutors, is deeply rooted in “racist, anti-Semitic and, in some cases, apocalyptic ideas.”
The Saxonian Separatists aimed to seize control of parts of Saxony and potentially other regions in eastern Germany, anticipating a collapse of the German state. Their goal was to establish a “national socialist” state, mirroring the ideology of the Nazi Party, by force of arms.
To prepare for this, group members, primarily young men, underwent paramilitary training using combat equipment. They also acquired military gear such as camouflage fatigues, combat helmets, gas masks, and bulletproof vests.
Seven suspects were arrested in and around the eastern cities of Leipzig, Dresden, and Meissen, while one was taken into custody at the Polish border town of Zgorzelec. The suspects are expected to appear before an investigating judge. Some will be prosecuted as minors and adolescents.
This is the second coup plot uncovered in Germany in recent years. The so-called “Reichsbürger” movement, led by Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, was exposed in 2022 for its elaborate plans to overthrow the state and install a caretaker government.
