AfD politician Daniel Halemba has just been elected to the Bavarian state parliament. Now he has been arrested. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating for several reasons. And Halemba’s lawyer complains.
The AfD politician Daniel Halemba, who was wanted by an arrest warrant and was newly elected to the Bavarian state parliament, has been arrested. A spokesman for the Würzburg public prosecutor’s office told the German Press Agency on Monday. The 22-year-old was caught in the Stuttgart area around 8 a.m. Halemba is being investigated for incitement to hatred and the use of symbols of anti-constitutional organizations. The initial suspicion was confirmed after the evaluation of evidence. Halemba is scheduled to be brought before a judge in Würzburg on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest, who could order pre-trial detention.
On Friday, the AfD parliamentary group itself announced that there was an arrest warrant for one of its MPs. The public prosecutor then confirmed that it was Halemba. Halemba, who lives in Würzburg, could not be found at the weekend.
Halemba could not be reached for comment since the arrest warrant was issued. The lawyer Dubravko Mandic, who represents Halemba according to the Würzburg public prosecutor’s office, rejected the allegations in a statement on Saturday evening and filed a complaint, as a spokeswoman for the Würzburg district court confirmed. “According to a preliminary assessment, there is no truth to all the allegations against the members of Prague Teutonia,” said Mandic. An investigating judge is now checking whether the arrest warrant was issued legally. The district court could also suspend the arrest warrant, for example against bail or reporting requirements.
The public prosecutor’s office is investigating members of a student association
According to his own statements, 22-year-old Halemba has been a member of the “Teutonia Prague zu Würzburg Fraternity” since 2021, which was raided in September. According to the public prosecutor’s office, there was a suspicion that there could be objects with symbols of the National Socialist Party, NSDAP as well as stickers and writings of a racist nature in the fraternity’s fraternity house. Almost all of the seized items have now been evaluated, the authority spokesman said on Monday. “The allegations have been confirmed for us.” The evaluation of data carriers is still ongoing.
In addition to Halemba, the public prosecutor’s office is investigating four other members of the Würzburg-based student association, including for incitement to hatred and the use of symbols of anti-constitutional organizations. The connection has not yet commented on the allegations when asked by the German Press Agency. Halemba had previously rejected all allegations made against him as false.
Members of parliament generally enjoy immunity. However, this will only take effect at the constituent meeting this Monday at 3 p.m. The 22-year-old Halemba is the youngest politician to be elected to the Bavarian state parliament.
The post has been updated.
Source: Stern
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