Five Convicted for Far-Right Plot to Kidnap German Health Minister

Five individuals from a far-right organization in Germany received prison sentences for a plot to kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, aiming to incite a civil war by attacking national infrastructures. The defendants have been described as significant threats to national security as they attempted to carry out their extremist plans.

Five members of a radical far-right group in Germany have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the government and kidnapping Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. Characterized by authorities as "ringleaders" of a terrorist organization, the defendants sought to provoke civil unrest through violent actions. The group's objective involved seizing Lauterbach, who has been notably strict with Covid-19 protocols, and eliminating any bodyguards obstructing their plan.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser condemned the group's actions, declaring their plot an "enormous threat" to national safety. The higher regional court in Koblenz revealed that these conspirators assembled in January 2022 and crafted a scheme that included plans for a sabotage attack on the power grid to amplify chaos.

The convicted included four men aged between 46 and 58, alongside a 77-year-old woman, and they were handed prison sentences ranging from five years, nine months to eight years. Additionally, a fifth individual was sentenced to two years and ten months after nearly two years of court proceedings. The identities of those convicted remain undisclosed.

The group has been linked to the fringe "Citizens of the Reich" movement, whose adherents believe the German Empire is still in existence. Reports indicate the group was led by Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, an aristocrat, and drew inspiration from the QAnon conspiracy theory popular among some supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Upon the sentencing, Lauterbach expressed gratitude to law enforcement and emphasized the state's ability to defend against violent conspiracy theories, while Minister Faeser reiterated the seriousness with which security services regard threats from extremist factions. The trial marks yet another significant legal action against far-right groups challenging the legitimacy of Germany’s contemporary state.