Germany: Right-Wing Extremists Sentenced Up to 8 Years for Plotting Civil War

Four right-wing extremists, including three men aged between 46 and 58 and a 77-year-old former educator, were sentenced in Koblenz to terms ranging from 5 years and 9 months to 8 years in prison. They were convicted of “ultimate treason” for plotting to instigate civil war conditions in Germany. The group, known as the ‘United Patriots,’ sought not only to overthrow the German government but also to kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach due to his strict pandemic measures. According to federal prosecutors handling terrorism cases, the group planned since January 2022 to create violent conditions leading to civil unrest. Adherents of the Reich Citizens movement, they rejected democratic values and aimed to restore the Second Reich of 1871. Their plan involved sabotaging power plants to cause nationwide blackouts, kidnapping the health minister, and potentially killing his bodyguards, all to pave the way for a new leader. Following the sentencing, Lauterbach praised law enforcement and justice for punishing the conspirators, stating that the state had proven its ability to defend itself against violent plotters. In April 2022, German authorities dismantled another armed network linked to similar ideologies.